


The Green Light

by orphan_account



Category: Septiplier - Fandom, Youtube RPF, youtube - Fandom
Genre: AU, M/M, Supernatural Elements, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-24
Updated: 2016-09-02
Packaged: 2018-05-28 19:14:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 29,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6341740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In an attempt to get away from home, Mark decides to move to Ireland. It wasn't quite what he was expecting, but it was good enough. He got a job, a roof over his head, nice friends and colleagues and the town is cozy.</p><p>But what's up with the green light?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Arriving

It was evening and it was raining outside of the cab, making it hard to see anything else than the lights they passed. Mark sighed and rested his head on the glass. He had been warned that it rained a lot on Ireland, but this was ridiculous. He had hoped to at least get a glimpse of the town he would live in, but he guessed that he could explore it later when the rain had stopped. Or, at least, when it had calmed down. Whichever that came first.

“Ah hope ya got an umbrella with ya, lad.” The cabdriver said and Mark turned his eyes from the dark outside the car to the driver in the front seat when he spoke.

“As long as ya are staying in Ireland, ya’ll need it. It’s a mere miracle when it doesn’t rain!” The man continued and Mark chuckled a little.

“Sounds like I need to get one the first thing I do, then.” Mark said and turned his eyes back out the window and watched the passing lights.

“That sounds like a good plan. Otherwise ya are gonna get soaked the first minute ya stay out there!” The driver said and Mark hummed as a confirmation that he had heard him, but he didn’t follow it up with a conversation.

“Not much of a talker, eh? Ah guess that flight took some of ya. Does that to most travelers. Say, how long are ya going to stay? The address ya gave me isn’t to a hotel that I know of.” The man continued anyway and Mark bit his lip and hesitated slightly before he sighed once again.

“I’m staying indefinitely.” Mark said and the man behind the wheel gave a low whistle.

“And ya came to Ireland for that? Man, that’s a first for me! Trying to get away from home, Ah take it?” The driver asked and Mark’s hands clenched and he stared pointedly out through the window. The man chuckled.

“Can’t blame ya, lad. Everyone has times like that. Welp, Ah hope ya got some job in your sleeve, ‘cause ya’re gonna need it. Otherwise ya won’t be staying long under a roof. Ah take it ya got a roof to stay under for the moment?” He continued. Mark glanced from the window and towards the driver.

“I actually have it already covered.” Mark said and the man nodded. Mark looked back outside.

“That’s good, lad. Would hate it if Ah heard that ya ended up in the street. Anyway, if ya are gonna stay here in this raining country, let me explain our culture! First off, ya need to get used to the rain, and get adapted to it. Ya won’t get away with not doing things just ‘cause it’s raining. And for the love of God, get an umbrella. It’s gonna be your best companion ever! Secondly, get used to us Irish being loud and talkative! We love to talk and-”

Mark droned out the man and let him speak on. He noted in the back of his head that, yes, this man was indeed talkative. He let out a quiet sigh and let his mind and thoughts wander all over the place. Was this really a good decision? Probably not. But what was done is done, and he couldn’t back out now.

A green light flashed outside the window and made Mark jerk up from his position against the window. He turned his head and stared at the green light. It stood out against the darkness and all of the yellow lights flashing past them. It was like the green light stood still and waited. He watched it with curiosity and felt the urge to try to reach it. He lifted one of his hands and moved it towards door handle.

“Lad?”

The voice of the driver made Mark jump and snap his head towards the man.

“Y-yeah?” Mark stuttered out. His heart was beating rapidly, like he had just run a marathon.

“Ya alright there? Ya’re awfully pale.” The man said and he had thrown him a concerned look in the rearview window. Now Mark noticed that his hands were shaking. He ran one hand through his hair and took a deep breath. He willed himself to calm down before he spoke up, in a much steadier voice than just moments ago.

“Yeah. I’m fine.” He said before he glanced out once again but the green light was gone.

“Ehm… Did you see anything out there?” He asked carefully and looked back to the driver who gave him a look through the rearview mirror.

“Nope, Ah didn’t. Keeping my eyes on the road, lad.” The man said and tapped his temple before putting his hand back to the wheel. Mark nodded and looked back out.

“I see.” He mumbled back in response. The rest of the drive was done in silence.

 

“Alrighty, lad! We’re here!” The driver said as he pulled the cab to a stop in front of a row of apartments and the man got out of it together with an umbrella. The rain had eased a little but hadn’t stopped just yet. As Mark himself got out, the man had already opened the trunk and picked out Mark’s two big suitcases. Mark closed the door behind him and walked over to pick up the suitcases.

“Let me help ya, lad.” The driver said and took one of the cases and motioned in front of him.

“Show the way.” The man said. Mark hesitated before he nodded and began to walk over to the door leading to the apartment he had gotten for himself. He searched his pockets for the key that had been sent to him a few weeks ago. He soon found it and unlocked the door. He took a step in and then stood there in the darkness. The lights suddenly flickered on and Mark flinched a little at the sudden brightness. He turned around to see the driver grinning at him, one hand on the light switch.

“No need to stay in the dark, lad! Now, here’s your bag.” The man said and pushed the suitcase to Mark and he took it.

“Thank you. How much will it be?”

“17 euro.” Mark took out his wallet and picked out the right amount of money and gave it to the cabdriver.

“Thanks, lad. And welcome to Ireland!” The man said and turned around to leave, but paused only a few steps away.

“And a few words of wisdom, lad. Don’t follow the light.”

The man was gone and back to his cab before Mark could question him on the strange words of choice. He stood there for a moment before closing the door and turning back towards the hallway of the apartment. His apartment. The thought that this was his, and only his, made him smile a little and he took off his shoes and his wet hoodie. He walked down the hallway and opened the first door to his left. It was a small storage room and he left it alone for now, he didn’t have much to put there. The next room was to his right and didn’t have a door to it and it was apparently the kitchen. It was big enough to have a medium dinner table in it along with chairs, and it would still be plenty of space left.

Mark grinned a little, he still needed to get some furniture to make this feel like home, comfy and practical. But he would get to that eventually. He walked out of the kitchen and continued down the hallway. The next room was the small bathroom and the room after that was the living room. It wasn’t the biggest one, but it was big enough for him. There was a door in the living room and Mark walked over and opened it. It was the bedroom. And luckily enough, the previous owner had left the bed there. He let out a sigh of relief and was tempted to just drop down onto the mattress and fall asleep. He was still jet lagged from his flight. He shook his head and headed back to the front door, locking it before he took his suitcases and dragged them to his new bedroom. He unlocked them and searched for some blankets he knew he had packed down. As he found them, he threw them on the mattress. He also picked out his pyjamas before walking over to the bed and sitting down. He fished up his phone and noticed the time. He wrote a message to his mother about he had arrived safely before he started to undress.

“Better go to bed early so I can be awake tomorrow.” He mumbled to himself as he put on his pyjamas and crawled under the blankets. Sleep came over him like a bullet and he was lost to the dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unlike my other story, this isn't finished as I'm posting this. Probably far from finished. Let's see if I'm able to finish this then, shall we? ~~the idea is finished, I just need to type everything down~~
> 
> I almost gave up on this story. I got an idea I really liked and started to try write an one-shot, but after 10 pages, I wasn't even half way. I know I'm not good at chapter stories so I let out a cry of frustration and basically rage-quit writing this, planning on never picking it up again. But then a few days later, I accidentally wrote 40 pages for another story that I had planned to be a one-shot and now I'm feeling a bit better.
> 
> I really like this part, and I'm excited to hear what you guys think about this so far.
> 
>  
> 
> I hope you have enjoyed!


	2. Neighbor

Mark spent the following day shopping furniture and other necessities, such as food and umbrellas. He bought two just in case. He also took a break to call his new boss to tell him that he now was in town and would be ready to work in a few days. After receiving a time and date when he should be there for his introduction, he continued on with the day.

It felt like the day had been going on forever, but it was finally evening when Mark was done with placing out the bigger furniture around his flat. A couch in the living room with a bookshelf with some books in it and a floor lamp beside one end of the couch, he had to get a TV another time when he had more money. A small dinner table in the kitchen along with chairs and all of the most needed kitchen equipment. A pillow and a quilt to the bed so he wouldn’t have to sleep under some blankets again, and a wardrobe so he could put his clothes somewhere.

Exhausted, Mark slumped into the couch and stared up into the ceiling. He was hungry, but he didn’t want to get up from his seat. A knock on the door made him groan and he was tempted to pretend that he didn’t hear that. It knocked again and he grumbled a little before he got up and walked over to the door. He opened it and was met with a grinning man.

“Hello! I saw you moving in furniture today, and since this apartment have been empty for a while now, you must be new here! I’m Wade, and I’m your neighbor. Just wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood!” The man, Wade, said. Mark blinked and blurted out the first thing on his mind.

“You don’t sound Irish.” Wade stared at him for a moment before he burst out laughing.

“And neither do you! Well, I’m from America originally, but I moved here to study.” Wade said with a grin and held out his hand. Mark began to grin as well and took Wade’s hand.

“So I’m not the only one from there then! What are the chances?” Mark said and the two let go of each other’s hands.

“Usually quite slim. But these are cheap apartments, so it doesn’t surprise me too much. Actually, we have someone from Sweden in an apartment below us. His name is Felix, and he’s decent enough.” Wade said and Mark nodded before he stifled a yawn. Wade’s grin became wider at that.

“You seem like you need some rest! Well, I’m off then. Let’s take a drink some evening. If you ever want to hang out, come and knock on apartment G.” Wade said and Mark nodded. He bid his neighbor goodbye for the time being before he closed his door again and moved to his kitchen. He did a sandwich and as he ate, he thought about the man he just met. Maybe this wouldn’t be as a bad stay as he first thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter... Sorry.  
> My plan is to update each Thursday. That will give me some time to write. Hopefully I will be able to keep it up.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!


	3. New Work

Days came and passed as Mark slowly settled down into the town. Wade had taken time to show Mark around the town and introducing him to some nice people he knew. He met some of his neighbours, including Felix, and he decided that they were good people. It wouldn’t be as boring living here as he first thought when he had arrived on the airport and it had rained. Mark learned that Wade also came from Cincinnati and from there they shared all kinds of stories from the town. It had been a while since he had laughed this much.

His free days soon came to an end and he had to begin to work. He had left his home early so he could find the store he would be working at without needing to stress out. He found it easy enough and was greeted by an older man.

“Ya’re Mark Fischbach?” The man asked. They shook hands as Mark confirmed it.

“Good ta meet ya, lad. Ah’m Rickard, an’ Ah’m yer supervisor. Come on, Ah’ll show ya around.” The man continued as he turned around and Mark hurried after him. It was a supermarket and a big one considering the size of the town.

“Ya’re gonna work in the back an’ resupply the stocks. Maybe later, when ya have figured out our currency, ya might work with customers. Jus’ try to make a good job, and we’ll go from there.” Rickard said as he tapped a clipboard he had in his hands. Mark nodded and paid attention when he was shown around. After some walking, they reached a room which was obviously the lunchroom. Rickard started to point towards different doors which was connected to the bigger room.

“Here ya eat lunch. Over there are the toilets an’ over there is the changing room. Now when ya know where everything is, let’s get ta the office. Ya’ll sign the contract an’ get the clothes. A woman called Claire will show ya how the work gets done.” Rickard said and Mark soon found himself in the office and signing the contract. He had already read through a copy of this that had been sent to him when he still lived in Cincinnati, but to be on the safe side the threw a glance through it this time too. Nothing changed, and now it adorned his signature. He was given some clothes to work in before Rickard basically pushed him out of the office and ushered him to go and change. Mark did just that before he stood awkwardly in the lunchroom.

“You’re the new guy, right?” A feminine voice said. Mark looked up and out from the toilets came a woman older than him.

“Yes. I’m Mark.” He said and held out his hand as the woman approached him. They shook hands.

“I’m Claire. Come on, lad, let’s get working.” Claire said and walked away and Mark hurried after. She immediately got into teacher mode and taught Mark everything he needed to know, and he drank it up like a sponge.

 

The day passed as he was shown the ropes around the supermarket, and he happily fell flat down on his bed, fully clothed, in the evening. He was very tempted to just fall asleep like that, but he decided that, no, it’s better to give up some minutes of sleep to get changed. He groaned out a complaint but moved up to sit on the bed. As he pulled off his shirt, he noticed that his wall had a faint, green color to it that it hadn’t had before. He blinked before he turned around towards the window. He stood up and walked over to it, looking out.

In the distance was a green light. Moving slowly up and down. Moving a little bit to the sides too, but other than that it was in the same place. Mark stared at it as if he was hypnotized. He put his hand against the window and let it rest there in a weak attempt to reach the light.

As sudden it was there, it was gone. Mark blinked and rubbed his eyes, but it was just darkness outside his window. He glanced behind him and saw the bed.

“Right. Bed.” He mumbled to himself as he moved back to the bed and finished changing into a pyjamas before crawling under the covers. He snuggled up and now he truly felt how tired he was. He turned around so he faced the window. He stared at it while his eyelids became heavier and heavier, until they were fully closed and Mark had fallen asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)


	4. Sean

Days began to pass as Mark fell into a routine with his new life. His work was fairly easy, though he still messed up from time to time. His coworkers were nice and pleasant to talk to, well, most of them anyway. He had yet to meet all of them though, and he hoped to meet someone that might share his love for videogames. Most of the people working with him was older and didn’t have such interest and those who were in his age mostly found the games silly. Felix and Wade shared his interest for videogames, but they weren’t working at his job.

Mark sighed as he carried a few boxes that he had just emptied. He needed to stack them so they could get reused later. A female voice startled him out of his thoughts.

“Hey, Mark! Come over here!”

“Just a second! I have to put away these boxes!” He answered and hurried to put the boxes down on the ground where nobody would trip over them before he walked over to Claire. Beside her was a young man wearing similar clothes like she and he himself were wearing.

“Mark, this is Sean. He is one of our coworkers. He has been here longer than you, but he just recently came back from a longer sick leave. Sean, this is Mark. He moved here for about a week and half ago. Now, you two be nice. I have to go and help Maria.” The woman said before she quickly disappeared and the two men stood there awkwardly for a moment before Mark extended his hand and smiled.

“Hi. Good to meet you” He said and Sean took his hand and the two locked eyes. Mark noted that Sean had beautiful blue eyes. If Sean hadn’t started to speak, he probably would had gotten lost in them.

“Welcome to town, Mark. I hope ya like it here.” Sean said and Mark nodded and they let go of each other’s hands.

“It seems nice enough. Still need to get out more, but that will be after I have figured out this job.”

“What? This is an easy job, it’s not that hard!”

“Oh, shut your trap! Everyone gets tired from a new job!” Mark said with a huff and both looked at each other before they started chuckling.

“Fair enough. I hope the old man have treated ya good when ya arrived.” Sean said as he started to walk deeper into the storage and Mark followed.

“Well, it was mostly Claire that took care of me. And she didn’t at least scare me away.” He said and both chuckled at that. Sean checked some shelves before glancing at Mark.

“That’s good and all, but we need to get working. Don’t want Rickard to be at our asses.” He said casually. Mark hurried to Sean’s side at those words and gave him a sheepish smile.

“Right. Work.” He mumbled. Sean chuckled and the two started to work beside each other.

After working quite some time in silence, Sean broke it.

“Say, where are ya from? It’s kinda obvious that ya aren’t Irish.” Mark smirked a little.

“I’m from America.” Sean gave a low whistle as he restocked the milk.

“Really? Man, that’s quite some way away! How come ya ended up on the rainiest place on Earth?” Mark shrugged the best he could with his arms full.

“Seemed like a good idea back then. Now I’m not as sure.” He said and started to stack the stuff he had in his arms. Sean turned towards him and put a hand over his heart in mock hurt.

“How could ya say that?! We got the best bars in the world! And we are the nicest persons ya’ll ever meet!” He said in fake shock and Mark chuckled at his coworker’s antics. 

“Well, I might have to agree with the people part, but I can’t go to bars.” He said as he turned his back towards Sean in order move some empty boxes.

“Why not?”

“Well, I mean I can’t drink. I’m basically allergic to alcohol.”

“Then ya are missing the whole point with being in Ireland!” Sean exclaimed and Mark chuckled at the response. He turned back towards Sean.

“Well, I can’t control what my body wants and what not. While I can’t drink, I still go out to hang with some friends.”

“Ya have friends?” Sean said teasingly.

“Ouch, that was a low blow!” Both of the men burst out laughing. Mark continued when he calmed down.

“Two, actually. Well, they are my neighbours, but they seem nice enough. We are planning to go out to one of the bars during this weekend.”

“That’s cool. If ya ever need a guide to the best bar in town, just ask me!” Sean said and Mark grinned and nodded.

“I think I will take you up on that offer.”

“Cool. Maybe next week then? Seeing that ya are going with your friends this weekend.”

“That sounds good.”

“Ya two already seems like best friends! That’s something new for ya, Sean!” A female voice broke their conversation and both looked up from their work. A young woman, Jane if Mark remembered correctly, stood not far from them. How had they not noticed her?

“Oh, shut your trap, Jane!” Sean said irritable. Mark glanced at Sean who seemed to frown a little. Jane rolled her eyes.

“Rude. Anyway, it’s lunch. Get movin’ or ya gonna lose your seats in the room.” She said before she turned around and walked away. When she was out of earshot, Mark turned towards Sean.

“Not a fan of hers?” He asked and Sean snorted.

“Nope. Always tries to get into other’s business.” He said as he straightened up from his hunched position and dusted off his jeans. He started to walk, and as he passed Mark, he put a hand on the American’s shoulder.

“Come on. Let’s get something into ya stomach.” He said. Mark nodded and the two went to the lunch room.

The two sat down to eat together. As Mark ate his lunch, he noted that Sean was only drinking a small yoghurt.

“You not going to eat something more solid than that?” He asked and Sean raised an eyebrow.

“Nah, I’m good. Worry about your own food instead.” Sean said with a motion towards Mark’s food. Mark just looked at Sean before he shook his head and continued eating.

 

They continued to talk with each other as they worked the rest of the day. Both parted at the end of their shift with big grins, walking different ways. Mark felt that he had found a new friend and he couldn’t be happier.

That night when he went to bed, the last image passing his mind was of those beautiful blue eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And finally Sean appears! I suggest that you guys get used to Jack being called 'Sean' cause that's the name I'm going to use xD
> 
> Now I'm going to move on and write on one of all of my stories... I have too much I want to write and not enough time!!!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)


	5. A Night Out

The weekend approached fast and Mark found himself preparing for the evening with Wade and Felix. A knock on the door made Mark look up from the book he was not really reading. He put the book away as it knocked again.

“I’m coming!” He hurried over to the door and opened it, seeing Felic behind it with his fist raised into the air. The grin the Swedish wore grew at the sight of the American.

“Finally! You took your sweet time to open!” He exclaimed and threw his hands up. Mark rolled his eyes.

“Hi, Felix. Hi, Wade.” He said and smiled at the two men. The other American gave Mark a wave.

“Ready to go out?” Wade asked and Mark nodded.

“Yeah. Let me just grab my jacket.” He said as he quickly turned around and reached for said piece of fabric. He paused when he saw his umbrellas hanging on another hook. He shrugged a little before he grabbed one of them and turned back towards the door. Felix and Wade walked back a little to let Mark outside. After locking the door and pulling on the jacket, Mark noticed Felix’s raised eyebrow. He raised one back.

“What?”

“Why are you taking the umbrella? It isn’t raining.”

“Maybe not now, but maybe later. We’re in Ireland.”

“Mark has a point in that, Felix. They said on the weather news that it will rain during the night. I’ll go and grab my own.” Wade said and hurried away towards his own apartment. Felix and Mark looked after him before they looked at each other.

“So. What bar are we going to?” Mark asked as the two started to walk down the building.

“A bar called _Lucky_. Original, I know, but it’s a good bar. Good beer and good people. You’ll like it!” Felix said with a grin and soon they were joined by Wade.

“Okay! We can go now!” He said and Felix grinned.

“Finally! Let’s go, bros!”

 

“Three beers, bartender!” Felix said with a big grin when they finally arrived at the counter of the bar. Mark quickly intervened.

“Make that two beers and one coke.” He said and the bartender raised an eyebrow before shrugging and turning around to do the orders.

“Why did you change the order?” Wade asked and looked at Mark with curiosity. Mark gave the other two men a weak shrug.

“I forgot to mention. I can’t drink alcohol.” He said and Felix tilted his head.

“Why not?” He asked and took one of the beers when the bartender put the three drinks in front of them. They paid their drinks and then moved to a free table. They all sat down comfortable with their drinks in their hands.

“I’m basically allergic to the stuff. If I drink it, I’ll die.” Mark said and took a sip of his coke.

“Dude. That’s rough. So why did you agree to come with us?” Felix asked and took a gulp of his beer.

“One can enjoy being in pubs without drinking, Felix.” Wade pointed out and Felix gasped over dramatically.

“You can do that?!” He exclaimed and the three men burst out laughing.

“Stop being a drama queen, Felix!” Wade said and Mark snorted. He shook his head with a smile.

“Fine! So, on other and more important things. Have you any news on the upcoming games?” Felix said and the three soon got engrossed in a deep conversation about different games.

The rest of the evening was filled with laughter.

 

Mark pushed the door leading outside the bar open for his two slight drunk friends. Wade and Felix stumbled out, giggling before pausing and holding out their hands.

“It’s raining.” Felix stated as he stared upwards, letting the raindrops fall upon his face. Mark snorted as he opened his umbrella and then nudging Wade.

“Open your umbrella so you won’t get drenched.” He said and Wade did as he said.

“It’s not even raining that much. It’s more like it’s drizzling.” Wade said and Felix looked down from the sky to see Mark and Wade having umbrellas over their heads. Mark snickered while Wade laughed when Felix pouted.

“I want an umbrella too!” He complained.

“Come, we can share umbrella!” Wade said and Felix hurried to his side.

“Come on, I wanna get home before it starts pouring down!” Mark said as he had begun walking ahead of his neighbours in the directions of their apartments.

“Hey, wait up!” Wade said and the two hurried to walk beside Mark.

Wade and Felix soon got engaged in a conversation about a game Mark hadn’t played yet. He still needed to buy a computer, a tv and a console in order to play any games. He sighed and started to look around, taking the chance to actually memorize this part of the town.

As they got closer to the apartment building, something caught Mark’s eyes and he slowed down until he had come to a complete stop. A green light was dancing on the edge of the woods. It was sitting there, looking warm and inviting. Mark watched the light with fascination and he felt the urge to accept the invitation it held for him.

He turned his body towards the light and took a step forward. Then another and another and soon he was moving towards it. The light was still there, just as intriguing as it had been the two times before and he wanted to reach it and-

The sound of a loud car horn made Mark jump a bit and he turned towards the sound and he felt a rush of fear when he saw two yellow lights approach him fast-

Two sets of hands grabbed him and pulled him out of the car’s way, letting it zoom past them. Mark fell to the ground, his heart threatening to jump of his chest as his whole body was filled with adrenaline. He barely noted the sound of screeching tires before the sounds of a car door being slammed shut.

“What the fuck, dude?!” Felix yelled, breathing quickly in a try to calm his beating heart. He was still clutching Mark’s shirt where he had grabbed him. Wade was looking at Mark with worry in his eyes.

“Are you alright, Mark?” He asked and Mark slowly shook his head in a try to get out of the daze he was in.

“Are everyone alrigh’?!” A woman shouted as hurried steps closed in to the trio. Mark glanced towards the woods where the light had been, but it was gone. He shook his head again to get rid of the thoughts of it. He took a deep breath and looked into Wade’s face.

“Y-yeah. I’m okay.” He said but Wade looked doubtful.

“Ya alrigh’ there, laddies?” The woman asked and all three looked up at her.

“Yeah… S-sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you like that.” Mark mumbled but the woman shook her head.

“Com’ on. Let’s move ya to the sidewalk.” She said and helped Mark up on his feet together with Wade. Felix was looking at Mark with worry. Soon all four was on the sidewalk and Mark sat down on the grass.

“Do ya need anythin’? Do ya need to go to the hospital?” The woman asked but Mark simply shook his head.

“No, but thanks. We are not far from home.” He said but Felix took a step forward.

“Are you sure?” He asked and Mark nodded. The woman hesitated a bit before she slowly nodded. She picked up a notepad from one of her pockets together with a pen and scribbled something down on it.

“Fine. I’ll leave ya. But here’s my number, if anythin’ is to happen.” She said as she handed Felix a piece of paper before walking back to her car and leaving. Wade and Felix turned back Mark.

“Dude. What happened?” Wade asked and all Mark could do was to shrug weakly.

“We called your name, like, a million times! It was like you couldn’t hear us!” Felix exclaimed and Mark looked over to the Swede.

“I thought me and Felix were the drunk ones. Are you sure you are okay?” Wade asked and Mark looked down into the ground for a second before he looked up.

“Yes, I’m fine. I- I just want to go back to my apartment right now.” He said and he could see the hesitation in Wade’s face.

“If you say so.” He said and helped Mark up on his feet again. He gently held Mark as they started to walk towards their homes. Felix joined them on Mark’s other side, carrying both Mark’s and Wade’s umbrellas that had been dropped under the ordeal.

Felix and Wade insisted to follow Mark to the door and barely then they wanted to leave the American alone. After a lot of convincing they walked away, giving Mark a chance to change out of his wet clothes into a dry pyjamas before crawling into bed.

Sleep didn’t come easy for Mark that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the green light makes an appearance again. I've just noticed that I've written every second chapters with the green light xD I probably won't keep that up, seeing that I write whatever that pops up in my mind :P
> 
> Anyway! I hope you have enjoyed the journey so far!


	6. Sleepy

“Dude, ya look beaten.” Jane’s voice said over Mark’s head. He let out a whine as he burrowed his head deeper into his arms. He had barely gotten any sleep after the incident a few days ago and he didn’t know why. Something was keeping him up, and he was getting frustrated that he didn’t know what it was.

“Ya gonna eat that? If not, I’m gonna take it.” Jane said and this made Mark lift up his head to glare at the young woman. She was eyeing his lunch and Mark didn’t like the look in her eyes.

“Stay away from my food.” He said as he pulled it closer to him protectively. She looked at him skeptically and Mark grabbed one of the sandwiches and took a bite of it to show her that he meant to eat it. She looked disappointed before she shrugged and sat down in the seat in front of Mark.

“So, where’s yar boyfriend?” She asked and Mark raised an eyebrow.

“Who?” He said and Jane rolled her eyes.

“Sean. Who else?”

“You know he’s not working today. And why the heck did you dub him as my boyfriend?”

“‘Cause ya’re the only one I’ve seen Sean actually interact with. Like, properly.”

“I’ve seen him interact with others properly. I guess you’re not looking at the right moment then.” Mark said and took another bite. Jane rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything more about Sean.

“So, what got ya so beaten?” She instead asked and Mark slumped over the table again, the remains of the sandwich in his mouth.

“Don’t know. I just had a hard time to sleep, I guess.” He mumbled before taking a proper bite of the food in his mouth.

“And why’s that?” Jane asked and Mark raised an eyebrow again.

“What got you so curious? I just slept bad, that’s all.” He said and Jane seemed dissatisfied with the answer. She opened her mouth to say something more but got interrupted by a slightly older co-worker come up to them.

“Ya two deaf? Break time over! Chop-chop, get movin’!” The man said as he tapped his foot on the ground, waiting for the two younger people move. Jane rolled her eyes but was quick up on her feet and disappeared towards the cash register. Mark groaned as he slowly got up on his feet, shoving the rest of the sandwich in his mouth and putting the rest of his lunch away. He sent his co-worker a half-hearted glare before he returned to his own workstation.

 

“You alright there, Mark?” Claire asked as Mark yet again dropped a box. Mark yawned and nodded.

“Yeah. Just tired.” He said as he bent down to pick up the dropped box. As he straightened up, he noticed a worried look on the older woman.

“Alright. But if something ever is bothering you, you can come and talk to me. Remember that.” She said and Mark nodded.

“Sure. But I just need a good night sleep.” He said with a half-hearted shrug.

“Go out and run after work then. Make your body tired. That usually helps me!” Claire suggested and Mark let the thought roll around in his mind for a bit.

“Maybe. We’ll see.” He hummed and continued the path he was walking on.

 

When the night came and it was time for Mark to go to sleep, he noticed the wall on the opposite side of the window had a faint, green color on it. His heart speeded up a little and he rushed to the window, but the light was already gone by the time he reached it. With disappointment filling his heart, he crawled into bed.

He fell into a deep sleep within minutes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry. Both for putting this up a day later and for the poor content of this chapter. After I had written most of this "chapter" I realized I wouldn't be able to put what I wanted into it and I planned to re-write it but I suddenly got the news I'm able to move into my new flat, so yeah... Didn't have time with that. I also spent the whole Thursday to shop for my flat, so that's why I didn't post this on the correct day.
> 
> **IMPORTANT:**  
>  As stated, I'm now in the middle of a move. I don't know how much I will be able to write the coming week, so I probably won't be able to update next Thursday. Sorry :( But I can tell you guys that Sean will appear again in the next chapter! So look forward to it :)
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this little filler!


	7. Gaming

Mark whistled a happy tune as he walked over to his locker in the changing room. He stopped whistling as he opened the small metal door and smiled big as he pulled his work t-shirt over his head. He couldn’t wait to get home and try out the new console he had finally been able to buy. He had been saving for it and a TV for the past two months and he had finally gotten enough to purchase it.

“What got ya so happy?”

Mark paused in his movements and look over at Sean. He had apparently changed his clothes already and he was standing about a locker away. Sean was looking him up and down but he stopped his eyes at Mark’s face. Mark’s smile widened. He turned his head forward again as he put the t-shirt in his hands in the locker and pulled out his normal one.

“I was finally able to buy the console I’ve been talking about! Haven’t had a chance to play any game yet, but I’m going to do it today!” He said with excitement obvious in his voice. He pulled the shirt over his head before he moved to remove his pants. He could hear Sean chuckle.

“Finally! Maybe ya will stop naggin’ my ass about it!” He said and Mark stuck out his tongue towards his friend. He grabbed his jeans and pulled them on.

“Well, I am pretty excited about it. Don’t blame me for it!” He said and grabbed the last things from the locker before closing it and turning towards Sean.

“So, seeing that you already have changed, I guess you were waiting for me. Shall we?” Mark said and Sean nodded with a grin. They talked small talk as they walked out of the building and to the crossroad that would separate them.

“I guess I see ya tomorrow, Mark.” Sean said and gave Mark a wave before he started to walk down the road that would lead to his home. Mark hesitated for a moment before he called out to Sean.

“Sean, wait!” He said and Sean paused and turned around to look at him.

“What’s up?” He said and Mark rubbed his neck in nervousness.

“Would you like to come with me and play some? I got a multi-player game too.” He asked and Sean stared at him.

“Ya invitin’ me home to ya?” He asked and Mark gave a weak shrug.

“Yeah. I thought that since we have been hanging with each other outside work it would only be appropriate that you at least get to see my home. I mean, I do consider you as one of my friends.” He said and smiled. Sean stared at him for a moment before he looked to the side and seemed to think about it. Mark’s heart fell a little as more time passed. He opened his mouth to say that Sean didn’t have to when Sean looked back to Mark with a big grin.

“Sure! It sounds fun!” He said and Mark began to grin he himself.

“Awesome! Come, it’s a bit to walk!”

 

Mark pushed the door open to his flat and motioned Sean to come inside.

“Welcome to my humble flat! Want anything?” He said and closed the door behind Sean before he moved over to the kitchen.

“Nah, I’m fine.” Sean replied and Mark looked over his shoulder towards the kitchen door, only to see that Sean had followed him into the kitchen.

“Not even coffee?”

“Nope.”

“Alright. Feel free to explore the flat, I’m going to get coffee to myself.” Mark said as he turned his attention towards the coffee machine. He noted the soft footsteps from Sean disappearing from the kitchen before the machine drowned out any other soft noises.

Soon Mark had his cup of coffee and he moved out of the room and walked towards the living room. He found Sean there, looking at the books on the bookshelf. Sean noticed him and smiled a little.

“Nice flat. It’s very comfy.” He said as Mark put down his cup on the table in front of the couch.

“Thanks. It finally feels like it’s my place. Just took about a month for me to stop being lazy and get everything completely done.” He said and reached the game he had in mind and put it in the console. He grabbed the two controls and moved to the couch. As he sat down, he looked over to Sean who was still standing.

“Come on, buddy, there’s nothing to be afraid of!” He said with a grin and patted beside him. Sean rolled his eyes before sitting down. Mark gave him one of the controls before he turned on the TV and made sure the game was on. Soon it was time for them to choose characters and Mark began wondering which one he would he should use.

“So, uh…. How do I do this?” Sean said and Mark halted his movements, turning the words over in his head. He slowly turned towards the other man and stared at him. A blush was slowly making it’s way onto Sean’s face.

“What?” He said defensively and crossed his arms.

“You have never played video games?”

“No, I haven’t. They never seemed that appealin’ to me before and I needed the money more to other stuff than on some games.”

“Dude. Seriously? Then why did you let me rant about games at work then?”

“Ya seemed so happy I didn’t have the heart to tell ya. Now, are we goin’ to continue to question me about never havin’ played a video game before or are we goin’ to actually play?”

Mark let out a laughter and showed Sean the controller in his hands.

“Okay. First of you have to choose a character. You see the blue arrow on the screen? That’s you. Move that over the character you want to be and then press A.”

“Okay. I got it so far. Which one is good?”

“Well, I recommend the ones in the top left corner seeing that they are easier to control. More like ‘starter characters’. The ones in the bottom right are harder.”

“Ya played this game before?”

“Yup. At Felix’s place. Thought that I wanted to have it too.”

“Felix? One of your neighbours, right?”

“Yeah. I think you would like that guy. Wade too. Hey, maybe sometime you can hang with us on our game night!” Mark said, excitement beginning to shine up in his eyes.

“Woah, take it easy, dude! First we need to find out if I actually like gamin’ or not.” Sean said with a laugh. Mark smiled sheepishly before turning towards the screen again.

“Okay, okay. So, now that you have chosen a character, we will begin to play. I’ll teach you the basics as we go!”

 

Not before long was Sean cursing his character while Mark was on the floor, laughing his ass off.

“Ya piece of shit! Do as I tell ya!” Sean hissed before facepalming when his character fell down towards its death. Mark only laughed harder, his own character having been dead for while due to the fact that Mark hadn’t stopped laughing.

“Oh, shut up, ya arse!” Sean said as he slapped Mark’s shoulder in an attempt to make him stop laughing. Mark continued to laugh and Sean rolled his eyes. He pressed ‘continue’ on the menu that popped up and they were back to the character list.

“Gonna stop laughin’ anytime soon? We won’t get any further if ya continue to lay on the floor.” Sean said and poked Mark. Mark forced himself to calm down, but still some giggles left him. He sat up and crawled back up onto the couch, grinning stupidly at Sean.

“Ya look like an idiot.” Sean said and poked Mark again. Mark let out another giggle before he reached for his phone.

“How much is the clock anyway?” Mark said as he pressed a button on it to light up the screen. He stood up when he saw the time and gave Sean a smile.

“I’m need to check something, I’ll be right back. Play some by yourself for a minute and figure out your character better.” He said before walking into his bedroom. He heard an affirmative from Sean and the sound of the game resumed.

Mark closed the door behind him and walked over to the window. He glanced outside and darkness greeted him. He frowned slightly but waited for a while. When nothing happened, he sighed and reached for a notebook and a pen on his nightstand and wrote down some notes. He gave the other notes in the book a glance before he closed it and put it back.

When Mark walked back to the living room, he was greeted with the sight of Sean actually making some progress.

“Get ya stupid ass over here and help me! I’m not gonna to survive much longer!” Sean hissed as he furiously pressed the buttons on the controller. Mark grinned and hurried over to his friend’s side, grabbing the other controller and joining the game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for me being gone for so long. After I had moved my stuff to my new apartment, I sort of crashed. All my energy got drained and I was on the verge to go into a negative period again. So I didn't have the inspiration or energy to write. But hopefully I'm back now!
> 
> And does anyone have any tips on better ways to write in a time skip? Because it feels like my way only works sometimes.
> 
> I hope you have enjoyed this chapter, it was fun to write!


	8. Deal

Mark was standing in the town square with an umbrella over his head, looking up towards the sky without letting the rain hit him. It was surprisingly warm outside considering the heavy downfall of water. He was tempted to put down the protection over his head to let the chilling drops hit him directly, but that would mean he would have to go back to his apartment and change clothes and he couldn’t do that. Though, Mark mused, the one he was waiting for was already quite late. A familiar voice speaking in strange words brought Mark out of his thoughts and made him look around for the source.

“Más rud é in ifreann bhfuil sé?”

Mark smiled when he saw the back of his friend turned towards him, an umbrella over his head.

“Hello, Sean.” Mark said and laughed a bit when Sean jumped in surprise before turning around to meet Mark.

“There ya are! How the fuck did ya sneak up behind me?” He said with a playful scowl as he approached the laughing American. Mark calmed down and grinned at Sean.

“I’ve been standing here the whole time, you doofus. It’s you who are blind!” He teased and Sean rolled his eyes with a smile on his lips.

“Then why didn’t ya made yourself known before now?” He asked and Mark shrugged a little.

“Was looking up into the sky.”

“Found anything interestin’?”

“Clouds.”

“I said interestin’.”

“And they are! Seriously, have you seen the gray on them? It’s so intense! And no cloud has the same gray color to it as it’s neighbour! And the way they moves! It’s so fascinating!”

Sean chuckled as he shook his head.

“I think ya need to leave Ireland, dude. The rain is gettin’ into your head!”

“Nah, I think I rather go nuts than to leave you behind. Maybe if you followed me though!”

Sean went still for a moment before he raised an eyebrow at Mark.

“Are ya flirtin’ with me?” He asked and Mark realized what he said. A small blush worked it’s way up on his cheeks before he gathered himself and scoffed.

“Maybe, but that doesn’t change the fact that I would miss everyone here, including you, if I moved away. I would like to keep my friends, thank you very much!” He said and Sean shook his head while laughing.

“I’m just teasin’, dude! Anyway, shall we go?” He said and Mark nodded. Sean walked under Mark’s umbrella while he closed his own and the two walked together towards one of the cafes the two usually visited when they were hanging out.

“So, what did you say before I announced myself?” Mark asked as he gave a curious glance at Sean.

“Was just questionin’ where ya were. Nothin’ special.” Sean said with a shrug.

“That was irish, wasn’t it?”

“No, it was dutch. And it's called gaelic. but yeah, that was irish. Ya know that ya’re in Ireland, right?”

Mark let out a chuckle.

“Right, sorry. Hey, do you think you can teach me?”

“What? Teach ya?”

“Yeah, teach me irish.”

“Why? It’s not like your kind stays that long here on Ireland. Ya come for some time and then ya just leave.”

Mark frowned at Sean’s words but didn’t answer him immediately as they arrived at the café. Sean opened the door and held it open for Mark as he closed his umbrella and shook away the water before entering fully. They walked up to the counter and Sean ordered a black coffee and a cookie while Mark ordered a caffe latte with one of the pastries they had on display. They sat down at one of the tables and Mark gave Sean a look.

“‘My kind’? What the fuck do you mean by that?” He asked and Sean shrugged.

“I mean foreigners. People come here to study or to see the views and then they just leave. I guess ya are no exception from that.” He said as he looked over the café, not even glancing at Mark. Mark stared at Sean before he sighed.

“I came here for a reason, Sean. Sure, I picked Ireland at random, but I’m not planning to move away in years, if even at all. One thing that’s sure, I’m not moving back to America.” He said and Sean slowly looked back at him, his eyes a bit narrowed as he seemed to search for something on Mark’s face.

“Why not? I thought ya missed the place.” He said and Mark hesitated. He glanced to the side as he bit his lip. He heard Sean move a little in his seat but he didn’t look at the other man.

“Well, yeah, I do miss my old home, but…” He begun but trailed off. He smiled in relief when he saw a waiter come up to their table with their orders. He thanked her and picked up his cup and blew away some steam.

“But what?” Sean asked when it seemed like Mark wasn’t going to continue his thought. Mark tensed a little before he shook his head.

“I don’t want to talk about it right now… Maybe another time, okay?” He said and Sean gave him a critical look before he slowly nodded.

“Fine. I guess ya come around when ya’re ready.” He said before taking a bite of his cookie. Mark smiled in relief.

“Thank you.” He said and the two fell into a comfortable silence.

Mark let his eyes wander around the café to take in what kind of people were there today. When he heard the soft bell from the door he looked that way and began to grin when he saw who had just walked in.

“Wade!” He exclaimed as he rose up from his seat and waved his arm. Wade paused in the middle of his walk towards the counter to look around and a grin appeared on his face when he noticed Mark.

“Mark! Didn’t know you were going to be here!” The other American said as he walked over to Mark’s and Sean’s table. Mark sat down again and Sean looked up at the new man.

“Hello! Ya are one of Mark’s neighbours, right? I’m Sean.” Sean said as he stretched out his hand towards Wade. Wade raised an eyebrow but nodded and took the Irishman’s hand.

“Yup. I’m Wade.” He said before he looked over at Mark. Mark gave him a sheepish smile.

“Sean is one of my co-workers. We hang out from time to time outside of work and I might have mentioned you and Felix a few times.” He said and Wade shook his head.

“Really? And you haven’t told us about your third friend? And here we thought you were getting lonely!” He said and Sean giggled.

“Sounds like ya really need to get some more friends, Mark.” He said with a grin and Mark rolled his eyes.

“Shush, you two.” He said with a pout and nibbled a little on the pastry he had bought. Wade and Sean chuckled.

“Alright, I’ll be right back. Let me buy something to drink and eat!” Wade said before he walked to the counter.

“Well, that guy seem nice enough.” Sean commented and Mark smiled big.

“He’s really a great dude. A really good friend.” He said with a nod and Sean smiled a small smile.

Wade came back to the table and sat down this time.

“Mind me joining you two?” He asked and both Mark and Sean shook their heads.

“Good! Now I will ask you a very important question, Sean.” Wade said with a sudden seriousness. Sean blinked in surprise and glanced at Mark. Mark was trying to stifle laughter as he already knew what Wade was going to ask.

“What is your favorite game?” Wade continued and Sean slowly looked over to the other American, processing what he just said.

“What?” Sean asked and Mark was shaking at this point.

“What is your favorite game?” Wade repeated and a small blush crept on Sean’s face.

“I, uh, I don’t have any. I… I haven’t played that much games really…” He mumbled and Wade turned towards Mark.

“I’m very disappointed at you, Mark! How dare you to hang out with someone who doesn’t see the beauty in the virtual world?” He questioned and Mark burst out laughing. Wade turned back towards Sean when it seemed like Mark wasn’t going to answer.

“It seems like Mark isn’t going to educate you about it, so I might as well!” He said and Sean locked eyes with Mark for a moment before he started to grin too.

“Well, it’s too late for that. While I haven’t played that many games, Mark has done a wonderful job to inform me of the virtual world.” He said and looked as Mark calmed himself down and grinned a big grin.

“Speaking of games, Sean, have you gotten your own console yet?” Mark asked and Wade looked interested in the answer. Sean shook his head.

“Nope. Why should I get one when I just can go to your flat to play? It’s way more fun.” He said with a smirk.

“Freeloader.” Mark mumbled and Sean chuckled at the remark. The waiter came back with Wade’s order and Wade thanked her before returning his attention back on Sean.

“So you have played games?” He asked and Sean nodded.

“Yeah. Mark have invited me a few days ago to play some. It was quite fun actually.” He said and Mark looked proud of himself.

“That’s great to hear! Would you like to join our game nights?” Wade said and Sean nodded.

“That would be fun.” He said and Mark whooped. Wade and Sean gave him a look along with all the other guests in the café.

“Someone’s excited.” Wade noted and Mark gave them a sheepish smile.

“I’ve been trying to convince him to come and play with us for a time now! And now that bastard finally agrees!” He said and Sean rolled his eyes.

“Good to know that I’m a bastard.” He noted before taking a sip of his coffee.

The three of them continued to sit and talk and joke around.

 

Wade had departed from Mark and Sean some time ago and the two were now walking in the rain under Sean’s umbrella.

“I got to go in a different direction now, ya know.” Sean said after a brief moment of silence.

“I know.” Mark said with a slight shrug but didn’t make any indication of moving away from the umbrella. Sean poked Mark in the side and Mark let out a squeak and jumped away a little from Sean, ending up with him half of him in the rain. He quickly moved back in under the umbrella.

“Open up ya own umbrella so ya can get home. Or else ya have to follow me.” Sean said with a snicker. Mark gave him a dazzling smile.

“Well, that doesn’t sound so bad! I wouldn’t mind follow you home!” He said happily as he felt a flutter in his stomach. Sean snorted and shook his head.

“Fat chance. Open up your umbrella, ya goof.” He said and tried to poke Mark in the side again. Mark evaded the offending finger and pouted.

“Seaaaan.” He whined and Sean shook his head.

“Nope. Come on, I need to get home.” He said and Mark gave up with a sigh. He opened his umbrella and stepped under it. With the step, Mark felt his heart sink a little. Sean seemed to notice it as he gave Mark a smile and nudged him with his foot.

“Now, don’t pout, Mark. Listen, we can make a deal. If ya let me come from time to time and play with your games, I’ll teach ya irish.” He said with a soft voice and Mark perked up.

“Really?” He said with hope in his eyes. Sean nodded with a big smile. Mark beamed at him before pulling the Irishman into a hug. Sean froze up at the sudden contact and Mark let him go the moment he noticed it.

“Sorry.” Mark said with concern coloring his voice and face. Sean slowly shook his head and gave Mark a small but nervous smile.

“It’s fine. I wasn’t prepared for that. Just don’t surprise hug me like that again, okay?” He said and Mark nodded.

“I’ll try.” He said and Sean smiled more relaxed.

“Anyway, I’ll see ya at work! Bye, Mark!” He said and waved before he began to walk away.

“See you, Sean!” Mark said as he waved after the other man. He began to walk back to his own apartment with a skip in his steps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you have enjoyed this chapter!


	9. Green Eyes

Mark groaned tiredly as he tried to hide his head under the quilt. His body felt heavy and sluggish, like he had been pulled out of sleep against his own will. He didn’t want to wake up, not yet. He laid still for a moment as he tried to fall back to sleep but pushed the quilt down in frustration when he couldn’t.

Green, glowing eyes met Mark’s.

“Holy mother of---!” Mark exclaimed in fright as he pushed his hands forward, incidentally throwing the quilt up in the air and tangling himself into it. He struggled against the cloth and landed on the floor with a thud. He went still for a moment, trying to calm his heart all the while he was listening to the sounds around him. He frowned when he heard rain hitting the ground. He slowly pushed himself out of the quilt and looked around in the room. He was alone and the window was open.

Mark’s heart sped up a little when he noticed that. He was a hundred percent sure that it was closed when he went to bed earlier. He scrambled up on his feet and hurried over to the window and looked out. Nothing but rain and darkness. Mark listened for a moment before he closed the window. He stood there, thoughts swirling around in his head. He glanced at the notebook on the nightstand before looking through the window one last time.

He walked back to the bed, grabbing the notebook and the pen beside it when he had gotten himself comfortable. He lit the night lamp and pulled up a blank page in the book. He took a look at the time and wrote it down before he started to doodle.

 

Mark looked up at the building in front of him. The town’s library was rather impressive if Mark got to say anything about it. He hesitated for a moment and gripped the notebook harder before he walked inside. He gave the receptionist a smile before he started to search for the right shelves. After some time he found them and he started to look for any book that could help him.

He found some that looked promising and brought them over to a table. He started to flip through the first book in search for anything useful.

“Mark?” A familiar female voice said. Mark looked up to see Claire standing by the end of the table. Mark smiled to the older woman.

“Hello, Claire.” He said and motioned to the seat beside him. The woman smiled and sat down.

“What brings you here?” Mark asked and she shrugged a little.

“Just looking for another book. What about yourself?” She asked as she glanced down at the books in front of him.

“‘Myths and Legends’? ‘Ghost Stories’? Never took you for a youth interested in old stories.” She said and Mark bit his lip before he shrugged.

“Well, it’s fun to look up from time to time.” He mumbled and looked down into the books in front of him.

“If you want, I can give you a book about the local legends.” Claire said and Mark looked up at her.

“Really?”

“Sure. My children aren’t interested in the book, they say I tell them the stories too much anyway.”

“Thank you. I would appreciate that.”

“It’s fun to see you interested in this stuff. It’s good that youth keep up with the history.” Claire said and rose up from the seat she had taken.

“I must sadly go, I need to find that book I want before I have to go to work. I’ll bring the book to you at work so when we come across each other there, I’ll give it to you. Sounds good?” She asked and Mark nodded.

“Great! I see you at work then, Mark.” She said before she walked deeper into the library. Mark looked after her and smiled, she felt a little bit like a second mom at this point. He looked back down into the book in front of him and with a sigh he started to read through the text.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a chapter I had written some week ago but decided to write other chapters beforehand but... I didn't quite have the time to write the chapter I wanted earlier(blame work) and now when I finally got free time, I crashed. Like, feeling really down and I couldn't really focus on sitting down and write. So you get this chapter instead. Sorry. I hope it's good enough.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed!


	10. Game Night

Mark sighed heavily as he entered the changing room. The day had been a mess and he couldn’t wait for going home and then to Felix’s flat to their usual game night. At least he didn’t have to wait for that much longer.

His coworkers were already changing out of their work clothes, most days shifts had ended by now and the evening shifts had taken over. Mark noted that even Sean had started to pull off his work t-shirt. He let his eyes trail over the other’s back before an idea popped up in his mind. He smirked and started to sneak up behind Sean, putting a finger on his lips when one of the colleagues noticed Mark. The man rolled his eyes at Mark but did nothing to warn Sean of the American behind him. Mark’s smirk grew as he stopped right behind Sean, his friend haven’t noticed him yet. He took a deep breath and blew Sean in the neck.

“Máthair Naofa de cac!” Sean yelled in surprise as he jumped at the sudden coldness in his neck. Mark burst into laughter along with their co-workers closets around them. Mark stumbled backwards a few steps as he held his stomach that was already starting to hurt from laughter. Sean had turned around and a blush was already on his cheeks.

“Mark, ya arse!” He growled as he threw the shirt in his hands in Mark’s face. That doubled Mark’s laughter and Sean huffed.

“Nice one, Mark!” One of their coworkers yelled and the laughter from the close ones slowed down to some chuckles, Mark included. He pulled the shirt off his face and his eyes immediately fell on Sean’s bare chest. His cheeks became warm and he cleared his throat when Sean crossed his arms.

“Sorry, couldn’t resist.” He said with an apologetic smile as he held out the shirt to the other man. Sean rolled his eyes and snatched back the clothing before turning back towards his locker. Mark’s eyes fell over Sean’s body and the heat in his cheeks increased when he realized he was checking Sean out.

“So, what did ya want?” Sean asked and Mark shook his head to clear his thoughts.

“Was wondering if you still are up for tonight.” He said as he forced himself to lock his eyes on the back of Sean’s skull.

“What’s up tonight?” Sean asked and Mark’s heart sank a little.

“The game night?” Mark said, trying to keep the disappointment away from his voice. He obviously failed when Sean let out a laugh.

“Relax, I’m messin’ with ya. Of course I’m still up for it.” He said and pulled his usual shirt on.

“Good! Wanna follow me to my apartment first or do want to pop up later?”

“I can follow ya, nothin’ else to do. Besides, I have no idea where we are goin’ to be.”

“Oh. Right. Forgot about that part.” Mark mumbled and Sean looked over his shoulder.

“Gonna get dressed? I don’t wanna wait for your arse to get covered by non-work pants.” He said and Mark stuck his tongue out at the Irishman before he walked over to his own locker. Most of the people was beginning to leave the room as the had quickly changed their clothes. Mark did a quick work and hurried out to meet up with Sean.

He smiled at the other man and the two began to walk to his apartment.

 

“Sean, come on, lazy butt, we need to go over to Felix’s. It’s not exactly far, you know.” Mark said as he stared down at the Irishman sprawled all over his couch.

“Why can’t we play here? It’s comfy!” Sean whined but sat up anyway.

“Because we always plays a Felix’s place. He got most of the games anyway.” Mark said as he grabbed the bag with sweets and drinks he had promised to bring over. He heard Sean sigh and he chuckled to himself.

“Lead the way.” Sean said as he approached Mark. Mark smiled and lead the other man out of the flat, locking the door behind them. They quickly walked down to an apartment under them and Mark banged on one of the doors.

“So, it’s here Felix lives?” Sean asked and Mark nobbed and was about to answer when the door opened up. A grinning Felix greeted them.

“Mark! Ready to kick some ass?” He said and Mark felt how a grin began to grow on his lips.

“Of course! Have Wade gotten here yet?” He asked and Felix shook his head.

“Nah, he called me earlier and said that he was going to be late. Said he needed to make some last minute studies. Which sucks, because that means that it’s only going to be me and you for a while.” He said with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Well,” Mark began before he took a step backwards and wrapped an arm around Sean’s shoulders. Sean gave Felix a small smile and waved his hand to the Swede. Felix blinked as he looked at Sean.

“I got our fourth, well third at the moment, player here! This is Sean, my third hidden friend, according to Wade.” Mark said and Sean shook his head before he poked Mark in the side, making the American squeak and jump away from the Irishman. Mark glared at Sean who was giving him a playful grin and Felix tried so hard not to laugh.

“T-that’s was the un-manliest squeak I’ve ever heard you let out!” Felix said as he tried to compose himself.

“He does that every time I poke him in the sides. Rather fun actually!” Sean said and Felix grinned at Sean.

“I like you already. Why don’t you two come in and we start up the game?” He said before he disappeared deeper into his apartment. Mark straightened up and walked in. He paused when he noticed that Sean had paused in the doorway, looking a bit uncertain.

“No need to feel nervous, Sean! Felix is a cool dude, if you haven’t noticed. Just because he’s my friend it’s not like you are un-welcomed here.” He said with a smile and Sean slowly nodded before he hesitantly walked inside. He was barely inside before Mark grabbed his wrist and began to drag him towards the living room.

“Come on, slowpoke!” Mark said with a big grin and he heard Sean giggle a little.

“Ya’re an idiot.” He said and Mark could basically feel how Sean was beginning to relax. They approached the couch, Felix had already started up the console and brought out the controllers.

Mark let go of Sean’s wrist and put the bag on the table.

“Did you close the door?” Felix questioned as he immediately dived into the bag to see what’s there.

“Crap. Be right back.” Mark said before he hurried back to the front door to close it. As he returned he noticed that Sean had sat down in the couch against the armrest and was talking to Felix that was sitting right beside him. Felix paused in the middle of a sentence when he noticed Mark was back.

“Why haven’t you brought Sean here earlier? Are you trying to keep him to yourself?” He questioned seriously as he stared at Mark. Mark shrugged and walked to the couch before plopping down on the other side of Felix.

“Maybe I was. He’s too adorable to be corrupted by you and Wade!” He said and threw a grin in Sean’s direction. Felix snorted.

“Like you are any better!” He said and pushed Mark in the shoulder.

“‘Adorable’? Seriously, Mark? That’s what ya come up with?” Sean questioned and Mark raised an eyebrow.

“Want me to call to call you ‘sexy’ instead?” He shot back and Sean shrugged.

“That’s at least better than ‘adorable’. That doesn’t make it sound like I’m a pretty girl or something. Maybe it would be better if ya called me ‘hot’, ‘sexy’ still makes me think of women.” He said and Mark hummed a little.

“But ‘hot’ doesn’t quite fit right on the tongue.” He said as he thought about the word.

“Could you two stop flirting over my head and focus on what we are actually supposed to do tonight?” Felix questioned with a chuckle and Sean joined him in while Mark’s cheeks became dusted with red.

“Right.” He said and reached out for one of the drinks Felix had packed up from the bag and opened it.

“So, shall we kick some ass?” Felix said with a grin as he reached for one of the controllers.

 

Sean was laughing hard and Mark was leaning back with a drink in his hands, smirking as Felix just stared at the screen with a blank face.

“Told you it was hard.” Mark said smugly and took a sip out of his drink. Felix just raised his hands into the air.

“I give up! I’m not going to pass that!” He exclaimed and fell backwards, leaning over the back of the couch.

“Let me try!” Sean said between chuckles as he reached for the controller.

“As if you can pass that! You barely passed the easier puzzles!” Mark said and Sean huffed.

“Yeah, you got lost when you obviously had to take the left turn.” Felix piped up and Sean threw the other two a glare.

“Oh yeah? Just watch me!” He said as he started up the course again.

“I’ve seen ya two fail so many times I think I know what to do!” He said proudly as it begun.

“If you do clear it in one try, I’ll buy you coffee for a whole month.” Mark said with amusement clear on his face.

The sound of the doorbell went through the apartment and Felix rose up from his seat.

“Probably Wade.” He comments before he disappeared into the hallway. Mark glanced after the man before he looked back to the TV screen.

“You are doing fairly well actually.” He said and burst out laughing when Sean failed at the same moment he uttered those words. Sean groaned as he buried his face in his hands. Mark reached over and patted the man on the shoulder.

“Cheer up, Sean. I’ll buy you the next coffee anyway.” He said and Sean just groaned again.

“Did Sean lost already?” Felix said and Mark looked up to see him walking in with Wade after.

“Yeah, he did.” Mark said and chuckled when Sean whined. Felix grinned as he sat down in his seat.

“‘Sup, Wade!” Mark continued with a grin and Wade raised an eyebrow at Mark.

“What are you doing here, Mark?” He asked as he dragged one of the chairs to the table. Mark furrowed his eyebrows.

“Why shouldn’t I be here?” He asked and both Sean and Felix looked up with curious eyes.

“The clock is like 22?” Wade pointed out and Mark’s eyes got wide. Felix reached for his phone and checked the time.

“Yup. Bro, what happened to you? You usually keeps a close eye on the time.” He said as he looked up at Mark. Mark groaned in frustration and ran a hand through his hair.

“I have no idea. I guess I lost track of time for once.” He mumbled before he sighed.

“Nothing to do about it. You are not getting rid of me this night apparently.” He said and Felix patted him on the shoulder.

“Don’t be down. Maybe Next time you will be more alert of the clock.” He said but Mark didn’t answer.

“What are ya talking about?” Sean asked and the three foreigners looked at the Irishman.

“Oh, yeah, you don’t know. Mark has this weird obsession that kicks in right before 22.” Wade begun and Mark felt his face heat up in embarrassment.

“Wade, don’t.” He warned but Wade ignored him as he continued.

“Every Friday he gets really focused on the clock before he leaves us for some time before he returns.” He explained and Sean tilted his head a little as he furrowed his eyebrows.

“Wade!” Mark hissed but Felix pressed Mark deeper into the back of the couch. The Swede grinned at the American’s discomfort and embarrassment.

“He refuses to tell us what he does or why he does it, but it is kind of hilarious that he just drops everything to go away.” Wade said and Mark just held a hand over his eyes.

“And before you get worried, we’re pretty sure he isn’t doing drugs. He looks healthy and he never acts high after he comes back. He doesn’t smell like smoke or anything else suspicious. And he let us check him the first times he did that.” Felix chimed in as he put an arm around Mark. Mark glanced up from his hand and met Sean’s questioning gaze.

“It’s just embarrassing, okay? I don’t want to talk about it.” He mumbles as he looked away.

“Oh? So ya have some questionable habits?” Sean said with a teasing voice.

“Like you don’t! Just, please go back to the game?” Mark whined and the three other chuckled.

“Fine. So, what are we playing?” Wade asked and Mark focused back on the screen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you have enjoyed this chapter! :)


	11. The Book

Mark groaned as he hauled the box with wheels behind him. It was heavy and nobody wanted to help him out, claiming that they had their own stuff to do.

“If Sean was here he would have helped me.” He mumbled to himself and tugged even harder. It was slowly following him but it did take it’s toll on Mark. Mark paused and forced the box to a stop so he could take a breather.

“Shit, this thing is heavy.” He complained as he sat down on the ground, leaning his back against the box.

“Takin’ a break already, Mark?” Mark heard Jane say and he looked around until he saw the young woman. He gave her a half hearted glare but didn’t otherwise move from his spot.

“Seriously, they need the box soon, ya know.” She said as she stopped in front of him with crossed arms.

“Well, then you can fucking move it by yourself! It’s not exactly like you are helping me!” He said, swallowing down most his frustration. He really didn’t want to end up arguing with Jane again.

“Why should I? Ya’re the one that’s buff.” She said with a shrug. Mark gave her a deadpan look.

“Are you serious right now?” He questioned and Jane raised an eyebrow at him. Mark groaned and ran a hand through his hair.

“This shit is heavy, Jane. And the hauler are broke so I can’t use that and everybody refuses to help me. How do you expect me to deliver this quickly?!” He said as he glared at the woman. She rolled her eyes.

“Not my problem. Ya better hurry up or Rickard might come and get ya arse.” She said before she turned around and walked away. Mark lifted his middle finger at her before he sighed and forced himself up onto his feet to continue hauling the box.

 

Mark sat down with a heavy thud on the chair in the lunchroom. His arms were in pain and he had come to the conclusion that he hated to work alone. It was a pain in the ass. He grumbled to himself as he opened up his lunchbox to eat some of the food, cursing the day. Nothing had really went his way up to this moment.

He took a bite of his food and savored the moment. He could finally properly relax without having anyone to breath him in the neck. At least for a little while. The thought of having to go back to work darkened his mood even more. He didn’t want to. He pouted to himself and poked what he was supposed to eat. He had already lost his appetite.

“What got ya so grumpy?” Jane asked over Mark’s head and he glared up at here.

“Go away, Jane. I want to be alone.” He grumbled as he looked down at his food. She snorted and sat down in front of him.

“Yeah, sure. Ya just want yar boyfriend here.” She said as she reached over the table to poke Mark. He saw the offending finger come and leaned away from it.

“I’m fucking serious, Jane. Leave me alone.” He said with a slight growl in his voice.

“Ya’re always so grumpy whenever Sean isn’t here. Have ya two lovebirds argued or somethin’?” She said and Mark knew she was teasing him and normally he could act rationally about it but everything had gone wrong today and he was tired of it all. He rashly stood up and grabbed his lunch, walking towards the storage room. He wasn’t going to deal with Jane’s shit.

“Hey, it’s rude to walk off like that! Come back here!” Jane said after him but Mark just showed her the middle finger as he walked out of the room. He didn’t stop until he had reached the storage room and found a place where he could eat in peace.

It didn’t take long before he heard footsteps and he immediately became annoyed.

“Mark?” Claire asked and Mark reluctantly looked up from his food the look at the other woman.

“Hi, Claire.” He mumbled before he looked at his food again.

“Is something wrong?” She asked with worry in her voice. Mark took a deep breath to calm himself down.

“Just that everything have gone wrong today. And that a certain someone won’t leave me alone despite I told her to leave me alone.” He said quickly in hope that she would leave him alone.

“Okay. I see. Well, I guess I should leave you alone then. But, first I want to give you this.” She said and Mark looked up. It was a book. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and he looked up at the older woman’s face.

“I apologize that it have taken me so long for remembering to take this with me. I put it on the drawer in the hall but I kept forgetting that I should take this with me.” She said and Mark reached out for the book. She handed him it and he gave it a curious look.

“‘Local stories’.” He read out loud before he looked up at Claire again.

“Honestly, I had forgotten that you had promised to give me this book. Thanks.” He said and Claire nodded.

“No worries. Take it easy now so you won’t end up in argument, okay?” She said with a soft smile before she walked away. Mark looked after her before looking down at the book. He took a bite of the food as he opened it up to read.

 

The day was finally over and Mark moved slowly to the changing room. He was ready to go home and lay face down in the couch rest of the evening. The thought of making dinner made him groan. Maybe he would just order some food or something like that. He gave a weak smile to his colleagues as he passed them on the way to his locker. As he opened it he noticed the book Claire had given him and he picked it out and stared at it. The corner of his lips moved upwards a little before he put it back in and started to change clothes.

When he had finished changing he took his stuff, book in hand and started to move out of the room so he could go home. He immediately opened the book to read where he had left off.

“That must be an interestin’ book if ya doesn’t even notice me.” Sean’s voice said from behind Mark and Mark paused to look behind him. Surely enough, Sean was standing there, not far from Mark’s locker. He had his work clothes on, he was going to work the evening shift.

“Sorry, Sean.” He mumbled and turned around to face his friend.

“Ya alright?” Sean asked with a worried face. Mark sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“No, not really. Everything has gone to shit today and I might have pissed off Jane.” He said and Sean gave him a sympathetic smile and put a hand on Mark’s shoulder.

“Then ya better take it easy when ya get home. Don’t want a grumpy student tomorrow.” He said and winked. Mark rolled his eyes and hit Sean lightly on the forehead with the book. The Irishman chuckled a little at the hit.

“I’ll try, but can’t promise anything.” He said and gave a small smile.

“What are are ya even reading?” Sean said as he looked at the book. A blush of embarrassment appeared on Mark’s face and he held the book closer to his chest.

“It’s nothing.” He mumbled and looked away from Sean.

“Aw, come on! It’s somethin’ if ya are tryin’ to hide it from me!” He whined and made puppy eyes at Mark. Mark glanced at Sean before he glanced around them. Everyone else had walked out of the room so it was just Mark and Sean in there.

“Don’t you have work to do?” Mark asked and squirmed a little.

“Work can wait for a moment.” Sean said and his puppy eyes intensified.

“It’s embarrassing, okay?” Mark said and hoped that Sean would listen to him but this only seemed to spark his curiosity even more.

“Is this connected to your obsession of the time on fridays?” He immediately asked and Mark dragged a hand over his face, feeling the heat from his cheeks. Sean was now grinning at him.

“It is! Come on, ya can tell me! I won’t tell Wade or Felix!” He insisted and Mark sighed.

“Okay, just don’t laugh at me!” He said and looked around one last time, making sure it was just the two of them. He ran a hand through his hair before he started to talk.

“Okay. Right. This is going to sound ridiculous, but… Ever since I moved here, I’ve seen this weird green light. It only shows for a short period of time and it disappears if I have noticed it and then looked away. It’s not every night I see it, it only appears some nights at a certain time. And it feels like I need to see it. Actually, in the beginning it felt like I needed to go to it, but that has passed. And… I… Sean, are you okay?” He began to explain but got worried as his friend’s face paled with every word he said. Sean slowly shook his head and licked his lips as if he was trying to force words out of his mouth.

“Mark, ya need to stay away from that light.” He finally said. Mark frowned in slight confusion.

“Do you know what that light is?” He asked and Sean shook his head again.

“Promise that ya won’t approach that light. Promise that whatever happens, ya never approach the light.” He said in a quiet voice. Mark searched Sean’s face and he could see both worry and fear amongst others in his friend’s sea green eyes. Sean quickly looked away from Mark.

“Please, Mark.” He pleaded and Mark slowly nodded before realized that Sean didn’t see it.

“Okay. I won’t approach the light, I promise.” He said and Sean looked back at him as he visually relaxed.

“Thank you.” He said with a soft voice. Mark noticed that Sean’s eyes had cleared up a little to become more blue.

“You know something about this, Sean. Please tell me what that thing is.” He said and Sean pressed his lips together to a thin line.

“I need to go to work.” He mumbled and tried to walk past Mark. The American grabbed him by the arm to stop him.

“Please, Sean.” Mark said again but Sean pulled his arm to him.

“I see ya tomorrow, Mark.” He mumbled before he hurried out through the door. Mark stared after Sean before he glanced down at the book.

“What’s going on?” He mumbled as he pressed the book to his chest and walked out of the room with the destination to get home.

When Mark reached his apartment, he ordered some takeout and made himself comfortable in the couch with the book in his hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've just realized that I have like 5 chapters left to write... Holy shit. A chapter may come or disappear but it's about five chapters left of this story... Never thought I would get this far.
> 
> Okay, I haven't actually proofread this one so you guys are welcome(you have always been really) to point out any mistake.
> 
> I hope you have enjoyed this chapter!


	12. Authors Note

Okay, usually I wouldn't do a simple AN without any story for you guys to read but...

Something is wrong with my laptop and the screen is just black. I can still work on the story on another device I have, but uploading it will be quite the work.  
I'm going to try and fix it or I'm going to get a new computer.

So I don't know when I will be able to update. Hopefully within the week, but no promisies.

Sorry for the inconvinience...

**EDIT:**  
Okay, got to check my laptop today (28/6) and it's dead. Luckily I didn't have anything important on it, anything I wanted to keep is in an extended memory outside the laptop.  
I've ordered a new computer and it will take a few days before I get it. So hopefully I will be able to update on Saturday or Sunday. Hold your thumbs for it!


	13. Crush

The sound of the clock ticking echoed through Mark’s kitchen, slightly disturbing him in his concentration. He glanced up from the paper in front of him to the man on the other side of the table. Sean was reading a book, an older one and on gaelic so Mark had no idea what it was about. A cup of coffee was beside him but Mark could see that some was still left and he guessed that it was ice cold and disgusting now. Mark’s eyes left the abandoned cup to look at Sean again. He saw a twitch in his eyes and Sean’s mouth fell down slightly. He furrowed his eyebrows as his eyes darted over the page. Sean turned his head slightly and his blue eyes snapped to Mark, making Mark hastily look down at the paper in front of him.

“Don’t think I didn’t notice ya staring, Mark. Somethin’ on your mind?” Sean asked and Mark glanced up again. The book in Sean’s hands were now closed and resting on the table. Mark sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“Well, a lot is on my mind. Mainly about how I can’t understand a single word that’s written on the paper. Your handwriting suck, Sean.” He said and smiled playfully. Sean rolled his eyes and reached out to take the paper.

“Ya’re not tryin’ hard enough to understand what it’s sayin’. It’s just some simple translations that ya should recognize by now if ya really studied as much as ya have said ya’ve done.” He said and looked at the paper.

“For example, what does this word say?” He said and pushed the paper back to Mark, pointing at a word. Mark squinted his eyes as he tried to decipher the scribble.

“I… Itnr? Itnir? Ithir! That means… Water?” He said and Sean shook his head.

“Soil. Seriously, Mark? Ya should have memorised this by now.” He said with an exasperated sigh as he leaned back in his chair. A blush worked itself up on Mark’s cheeks and he crossed his arms.

“Well, I’ve been busy.” He defended himself and Sean let out a chuckle.

“With what? Games? Come on, it was ya that wanted to learn gaelic.”

“Hey! It’s not that long ago that we actually sat down to begin! Besides, it’s actually harder for an adult to learn a new language than it is for a child!”

“Then this should be a piece of cake for ya.”

“Are you saying that I’m a child?”

“What else would ya be?”

Mark promptly kicked Sean in the leg, the other man hissing in pain before it turned into laughter. Mark huffed and pouted.

“Meanie.” He grumbled and Sean laughed harder.

“M-maybe we should take a break!” He said in between laughter and Mark couldn’t help but to chuckle along with Sean as the man calmed down.

“Sure. Wanna play some games?” He said as he rose up, stretching his arms over his head and straightening out his back. He looked down and saw Sean staring at him. He let his arms fall down and Sean slowly made eye contact with him.

“Like what you see?” Mark said while wiggling his eyebrows. Sean let out another chuckle.

“Ya wish.” He said as he rose up from his seat and started to navigate out of Mark’s kitchen and towards the living room. Mark followed him into the room and while Sean sat down in his usual spot, Mark walked to the television and turned on the console. He returned to the couch and dropped the controller in Sean’s lap before plopping down beside the man. Sean silently took the controller and made himself comfortable as the game started up. Mark cuddled down into the furniture and was content with watching Sean play for a bit.

 

 

Too soon for Mark’s liking, Sean had to leave.

“Do you really have to leave? You can stay here if you want.” He said as he watched Sean pulling a jacket over his shoulders. Sean paused in his movements and looked over at Mark.

“I can’t even if I want to. Business to attend to, remember? Besides, aren’t ya goin’ to hang out with Felix and Wade tonight?” Sean said with a small smile.

“And you know that you are always welcome to hang out with us. Felix and Wade doesn’t mind.” Mark insisted and Sean shook his head.

“Mark, I can’t. Maybe next time.” He said apologetic. Mark couldn’t help but to feel disappointed. He didn’t say anything more on the subject as Sean finished dressing himself and grabbing the umbrella.

“You know, you never told me why I should stay away from the light yesterday.” He said quietly and he didn’t think Sean would hear it, but the way the Irishman froze up told him the opposite.

“I think I deserve to know why. That thing has been affecting me ever since I moved to Ireland and you know something about it.” He continued with a louder voice. Sean wasn’t looking at him.

“Ya promised ya wouldn’t go to the light.” He said in a low and shaky voice.

“And I won’t. But I want to know what that light is and why I shouldn’t go to it.” Mark pressed on and Sean was silent a long time.

“Ya never told me why ya moved here.” He said as he raised his gaze to meet Mark’s eyes. Mark tensed.

“Don’t change the subject!” He hissed but Sean continued to stare at him. Mark bit his lip before he let out a sound of frustration.

“I was stalked, okay? I didn’t feel safe anywhere in America so I moved here. Happy?” He bit out and he stared intently at the floor.

“Ya were stalked? Holy shit.” Mark head Sean mumble and he shook his head. He turned up his burning gaze and locked it on Sean. Sean’s features had softened and that in turn made Mark’s anger deflate a little.

“I don’t want to talk about it, okay? It feels like I can finally relax without worrying that someone would stare into my window or bother me.” He said before he let out a humorless chuckle.

“Well, that’s if you don’t count the green light.” He mumbled and ran a hand through his hair. Sean was silent as it seemed like he was considering something.

“Can ya fetch me some paper and a pen?” He requested and Mark furrowed his eyebrows in confusion before he nodded and walked into the kitchen. He quickly came back with the items and handed them to Sean. Sean pressed the paper towards the wall and wrote something down on it. When he was finished he handed the paper and the pen back to Mark. Mark looked down at the words and noticed that it looked like gaelic but he had not even the slightest idea what it said.

“If ya manage to translate and understand what’s written there, I’ll tell ya what I know. That’s a promise.” Sean said and Mark looked back up.

“About the green light?” He asked and Sean nodded in confirmation.

“Why not beforehand?” Mark asked with a frown.

“Personal reasons. Listen, just as ya don’t want to talk about ya bein’ stalked, I don’t want to talk about this. But if ya manage to translate that, I’ll tell ya. Besides, maybe this will goad ya to actually study.” Sean said and gave a wink at his last words. Mark rolled his eyes but couldn’t help the small smile on his lips.

“If you say so.” He said and looked down at the paper in his hands.

“And, Mark?” Sean said and Mark lifted his head at the other’s voice. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Sean stand there with open arms.

“Mind a hug?” The Irishman asked with a grin and Mark didn’t hesitate to envelop the man in his arms. Mark felt how Sean put his arms around him to hug back and Mark couldn’t help but to hold the man closer to him. He burrowed his face in Sean’s shoulder, making the other giggle a little thanks to his stubble of a beard. Mark was assaulted with what could only be described as Sean’s scent.

“Okay, big guy, as nice as this is, I need to go.” Sean mumbled in his ear and Mark opened his eyes he never realized he had closed. He reluctantly let go of his friend and Sean patted his shoulder, giving him a smile.

“Same time tomorrow?” He asked and Mark nodded.

“See you tomorrow then.” He said and Sean stepped back and towards the door.

“Bye, Mark!” Sean said before he disappeared out and closed the door behind him. Mark stood there for a moment before he walked into the kitchen to drop off the paper and pen. He noticed the book Sean had read earlier and picked it up. He didn’t understand what the title was saying and it didn’t really have a cover that gave any indication on what story was inside of it. He sat down in a chair as he traced the title. He remembered how Sean had looked like when he had read it and he already missed to have that adorable man here.

Mark groaned at his thoughts and buried his head in his arms against the table. He was not ready to have another fucking crush.

 

 

Mark was still sitting in the kitchen with his head in his arms when he heard knocking on the door. He didn’t move from his spot to answer, he figured that if it was important they would let themselves in and leave if it wasn’t. It was soon revealed that it was the former.

“Hallåååååå! Mark, you home?” He heard Felix shout and he burrowed his head deeper into his arms. He listened to the sound of footsteps from more than one person before someone stopped.

“Felix, in the kitchen.” Wade said and soon Mark heard chairs being pulled out.

“So… Wanna talk about why you have buried your head in your arms?” Wade asked and Mark just groaned in response.

“It sounds like we are going to need to ask a thousand question to get our answer here, Wade.” Felix said and Mark wished that they would shut up.

“So, did you have a bad day?” The swedish man began but Mark didn’t move.

“Headache?” Wade continued but Mark remained motionless. The other two continued their guessing game.

“You are sleepy?”

“Have you embarrassed yourself?”

“Are you dead?”

“Have you stubbed your toe?”

“Are you crushing on someone?” Felix finally said and Mark let out a groan of despair as he tried to hide even deeper into his arms.

“Oh my god, are you serious? Are you crushing on someone?” Wade asked and Mark finally raised his head to give the other American a glare.

“Shut up, Wade.” He grumbled before he let his head fall back down.

“Mark is so crushing on someone!” Felix basically squealed and Mark felt his cheeks heat up.

“Dude, you have to tell us all about her!” Wade said and Mark tensed up. Right. They didn’t know.

“Shut up.” He mumbled half heartedly and Felix let out a laugh.

“Nope! As your friends, it is our duty to embarrass you about it, especially now that you don’t have any family nearby!” He said, sounding too pleased with himself. Mark felt someone poke him but he didn’t move.

“Come on, Mark, tell us about her! We aren’t leaving until you give us some details!” Wade said and Mark let out a sigh. He lifted up his head slightly so he could rest his chin in his arms. He hesitated for a moment, looking very conflicted.

“Guys, there’s… There’s something I need to tell you.” He finally mumbled and adverted his eyes to the side.

“I’m bi.” He blurted out and held his breath. It was silent for a moment before Wade’s voice rose up.

“Bi? Do you mean-”

“I mean just that. I’m bisexual. I like both men and women.” Mark said harshly as he sat up straight and gave Wade and Felix a look, daring them to challenge him. Wade was staring at him with big eyes and Felix had narrowed his eyes at Mark.

“You like men.” Wade said slowly and glanced at Felix.

“Yes, I fucking like men! I’m attracted to them! That kind of comes in the package of being bisexual!” Mark snapped and glared at the other two. Felix held a neutral look on his face as he met Mark’s eyes. His expression didn’t change as he rose up, grabbed Wade and dragged the other male out of the room. Mark sighed as his posture sagged and he rested the arms on the table again, gripping his hair in frustration.

“Fuck, I messed it up.” He whispered to himself and closed his eyes shut in a try to press back the tears when he heard the front door open and hushed voices spoke.

“Fuck.” He cursed again as a tremble racked through his body. He had just driven two of his friends away from him, just like in the past. He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, he didn’t want to cry, but the tremor that went through his body told him that he would have a hard time fighting it.

The sound of someone sitting down in front of him made Mark jump a little and he quickly looked up with a blurry sight. Felix was giving him a reassuring smile from the other side of the table. Mark quickly wiped his eyes.

“What are you doing here? I thought that you didn’t want to be near me.” He mumbled and Felix waved his hand dismissively.

“I have several gay friends back in Sweden, I don’t care if you are fucking dudes or dudettes. I just got up to get Wade away from here because you obviously doesn’t want to deal with your sexuality being questioned and he wouldn’t be helpful at the moment.” He said with a shrug. A mischievous glint came to his eyes as he folded his hands together and leant forward.

“So. I want every juicy detail. Is the guy cute? Or is he a bear? Is he someone you just saw in town or is he someone you know? Have I met him?” He said and Mark couldn’t help but to let out a nervous chuckle.

“I never said it was a guy…” He said as he scratched the back of his head.

“Well, it must be a dude or otherwise you wouldn’t confess to us that you are bi.” Felix said and Mark felt his cheeks heat up again. He rubbed one of his eyes to get rid of the uncomfortable feeling of tears in his eyes.

“You actually know him.” He said and smiled softly. Felix hummed as he leaned backwards.

“Someone I know? Hmm. Well, I haven’t met that many friends you have beside me, Wade and-” He said outloud to himself before he cut himself off and got wide eyes. He stared at Mark and Mark’s blush deepened.

“No way. You are crushing on Sean?” Felix said with a big grin and leaned forward again. Mark adverted his eyes and gave a small nob.

“How could I have not seen it! You two are always flirting!” Felix said with a giggle.

“You are acting like a highschool girl, Felix.” Mark noted and Felix rolled his eyes.

“Of course I do! It’s not everyday I can tease a friend of mine for being in love~!” He said in a sing-song voice.

“Now, tell me what you like about him!” He continued in a more serious voice. Mark closed his eyes as he pictured Sean in front of him. He smiled softly.

“He’s really great, you know? I mean, he’s sweet and funny, he has the sweetest giggle and the most contagious laugh. He’s caring and pays so much attention to small details. He’s a dork like no other and just so kind. And he’s so cute and adorable but yet so hot. And his eyes are gorgeous. When he’s calm and relaxed the eyes are the clearest blue I’ve ever seen and whenever he gets angry or really uncomfortable they darken towards a more sea green color. It’s so fascinating to watch. It’s so pretty. And his hair is so soft. If I got the chance, I would run my hand through his brown and gray locks all day. And it feels like I can truly relax with him around. I don’t know why, but he feels like safety. And he smells really good.” He said and let out a happy sigh. He opened his eyes when he heard Felix chuckle.

“Who sounds like a highschool girl now?” Felix said with a playful smile.

“I’m not a highschool girl, just a lovestruck fool.” Mark mumbled and Felix giggled.

“I guess that’s the proper term.” He said before reaching out and patted Mark on the arm.

“So, do you want to continue gushing about your adorable friend?” He continued with a smirk and Mark buried his head in his arms again, this time with a goofy smile on his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woho! Finally have a proper and functioning computer! :D God, I've realized how addicted I am to the thing xD It was somewhat frustrating to not have it. Anyway, now I have a proper gaming computer so I can play all the awesome games I want to play! :D  
> Thank you guys for being patient with me :)
> 
> And another heads up: my family are planning to go to one of our cabins the coming week and I probably will go with them. It's been a long time since I spent time with them in the cabins so I want to go. I don't know how long we are going to be there, but at least a few days. So if I don't update on Thursday, I will probably update on either Saturday or Sunday. Thank you for being patient with me :)
> 
> I hope you have enjoyed this chapter!


	14. Explanations

Mark sat by the window inside a café, watching the rain fall down outside.The smell of coffee and sweets reached his nose and if he was honest, it sickened him a little. He wasn’t hungry at all so the scent just made his stomach churn a little. He closed his eyes as he listened to the sounds in the shop and waited. He didn’t have to wait long to hear rustling of a jacket and someone sitting down on the opposite side of the table. He opened his eyes and looked over to see Felix giving him a small smile.

“How’s it going, bro?” He said and Mark shrugged before turning his eyes out the window again.

“You nervous?” Felix continued and Mark sighed as he dragged a hand over his face.

“I don’t want it to end up in a discussion. I’ve had enough of them over me being bi to last a lifetime.” He mumbled and leaned into his hand.

“I’ve already talked a bit with Wade, I think he just needed a few days to let it sink in that you actually are attracted to girls and guys. You know that Wade is a cool dude, so it’s going to be fine.” Felix said and Mark felt a hand on his arm. He glanced at the Swedish man and gave him a tiny smile.

“So, do you want anything? I’m going with a cup of coffee and maybe some of those tasty looking pastries!” The blond man said as he rose up from his seat. Mark shook his head and swallowed against the lump that appeared in his throat at the mere thought of eating.

“Suit yourself! I was even planning on paying it for you!” Felix said before he disappeared towards the counter. Mark simply turned his head back to the window and stared at the rain.

Felix was back soon enough and Mark turned his attention back to his friend. Felix was wearing an excited grin as he looked at the cheesecake he had bought together with the coffee. He took a bite and seemed to enjoy it immensely.

“You are really missing out on something, Mark!” He hummed with content.

“Maybe, but somehow I doubt that.”

“Why?”

“In all honesty, I feel a bit sick.”

Felix stopped the spoon on it’s way to his mouth and gave Mark a look before he gently put it down.

“How come?”

“I don’t know. The mere thought of food makes me queasy and eating is impossible. Sometimes I can’t even drink.”

“That doesn’t sound good. Have you checked it up?”

Mark shook his head and ran a hand through his hair.

“No, but that happens sometimes. Don’t worry, it’s usually gone by the evening.”

Felix looked dubious but he shrugged and put the abandoned bite into his mouth.

“If you say so.” He hummed around the spoon. After that the two fell into silence, Felix eating on his sweets and Mark staring out of the window. The silence between them wasn’t awkward or tense, it was rather comfortable.

The silence was broken when a third person joined their table. Mark looked away from the window and tensed slightly as he saw Wade putting his jacket over the backrest before taking a seat beside Felix who had jumped closer to the cold glass.

“Uh.. Hi, Mark.” Wade mumbled as he looked down at the table. Mark sighed and dragged a hand through his hair.

“Hi, Wade.” He said and watched as Felix rolled his eyes and pushed Wade’s shoulder with his own so the other American looked up.

“We are not strangers here, guys. No need to make this awkward!” He said and both Mark and Wade gave him a look.

“See! Now both of you are teaming up on me! We’re already on our way back to normal!” He said with a grin and Mark couldn’t help but to roll his eyes. Wade let a chuckle escape before he cleared his throat and looked at Mark.

“Okay. Listen. Sorry that I freaked out a few days ago. I haven’t really known a lot of gay people so I, admittedly, am a bit uncomfortable. And I probably will be for a while.” He said and squirmed in his seat. Mark bit his lower lip before he let out a deep breath.

“I’m the same guy, Wade. It’s just that you have now learned that I’m attracted to both women and men. That’s, like, some flavor text for a character in a game.”

“I know, I know. It’s just, okay this is going to sounds stupid, I’m a bit afraid of you starting to crush on me?” Wade said but it sounded more like a question on the end. Mark stared blankly at his friend. Felix was looking like he was holding back laughter.

“Wade.” He said slowly and Wade had the decency to look a bit nervous.

“Yes, Mark?”

“No offense, but you are way too ugly to be attractive.”

Felix burst out laughing and Wade blinked slowly.

“Did you just… What the heck?!” He finally spluttered and that made Felix laugh harder.

“Being attracted to both men and women doesn’t mean I find every single person I see attractive. Do you want to fuck every woman you see?” Mark said as he crossed his arms.

“No!” Wade exclaimed before he cleared his throat.

“No.” He said with more dignity. Mark was sure that people was staring at the right now.

“And that’s exactly how it’s for me. I don’t want to fuck every woman and man I see. I’m no different than you. So you don’t need to worry for me wanting to get into your pants. As stated, you are too ugly for me.” He said and leaned back in his seat. Wade was staring at him before he slowly shook his head.

“I’m going to get some coffee.” He mumbled before he rose up from his seat and walked towards the counter. Mark looked after him for a moment before he raised an eyebrow at Felix that was still chuckling. He opened his mouth to say something but it was interrupted by Wade returning to the table.

“Forgot my wallet.” He mumbled and dug around in his jacket before retrieving said object and walking away. Mark and Felix was sent into a giggling fit.

“This is off to a great start! We’ll be back in our normal routines in no time!” Felix said with a grin. Mark shook his head.

“Will probably take some time before Wade can relax around me like he used to.” Mark mumbled, more to himself than to Felix. Felix gave him a sympathetic smile.

“He’ll come around. After all, you are already crushing on a cute Irishman, don’t you?” He said as his smile turned mischievous. In a beat Mark’s face was flushed red and he kicked the giggling man.

 

Mark pulled his coat over his shoulders and pulled up his umbrella. He walked out of the café after Felix and Wade and took a deep breath to cleanse his nose from the sweet scent of the pastries. As the smell of rain overtook the scent from the café, his nausea calmed down. He silently thanked the gods to be out of that place.

“Come on, I want to go home.” Felix whined as he pulled his jacket closer to his body.

“It’s cold and it’s wet.” He continued as he pouted.

“Well, it’s autumn and it’s raining. I would be surprised if it wasn’t cold and wet.” Wade said with a shrug, holding his own umbrella over him.

“You guys go ahead and go home without me. I need to drop by the library.” Mark said and Wade nodded. Felix raised an eyebrow.

“What for?”

“I, uh, need to research something. Sean gave me something to translate and I need to get some books to help me.” Mark said as he scratched the back of his neck.

“Why not use a computer and google translate?” Wade asked and Mark dropped his hand.

“It’s… It’s not that simple. Yes, I could do that, but that wouldn’t be very satisfying, you know? And I wouldn’t really learn anything which are the point of this.” He said and frowned slightly at his own words.

“You two can continue to talk about that, I’m going ahead and go home. Good luck in your studies, Mark.” Felix said before he left the two Americans behind.

“I… I’ll go too. Good luck, Mark.” Wade said quickly and hurried after Felix.

“Bye.” Mark said and looked after his friends for a moment before he shrugged and walked towards the library. He stuck his free hand into his pocket and traced the outlines of his notebook there. He sighed, he had too much to research. Both the green light and what Sean had written to him.

“Maybe I’ll stick with the light today.” He mumbled and grabbed the notebook tighter. At least he would have enough to keep him entertained for the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you have enjoyed this chapter! :)


	15. Phone Call

Mark tapped the pen in his hands against the kitchen table as he thought. This wasn’t making any sense. He groaned in frustration and crossed out the words he had written down. He looked into the books he had picked up from the library and frowned.

“Isn’t this supposed to be gaelic?” He muttered as he picked up the piece of paper that Sean had given him. It had to be gaelic, he had figured out some of the words but not enough to make out what all of it was saying. But he couldn’t figure out the other ones. With a sigh, he rose up from the chair and picked up his empty mug. He walked over to the coffee machine and started it up again. He stared at the machine as it slowly made the coffee he wanted.

The ringtone of his phone broke of his stare contest with it and he reached for his phone. He didn’t look who it was before he answered.

“Mark speaking.”

“ _Hi, Mark. How’s my baby boy doing?_ ” A very familiar said. Mark blinked in surprise before he began to smile big.

“Mom! It’s been a while!” He said and he heard a huff from the other end.

“ _Well, it becomes like that when you never take some time off to call!_ ”

“Ah, sorry. I guess I forgot.”

“ _You better remember from now on then! I know that you are an adult, but you will forever be my baby boy._ ” She said and Mark smiled softly. He reached for his coffee when the machine was done and took a sip.

“I know, you remind me of that every time.” He said as he left the kitchen and walked towards the living room.

“ _So, how’s everything going for you?_ ”

“Nothing much really. Life just rolls by.”

“ _Something must have happened in the past four or five weeks since we last talked._ ”

“No, not really. I eat, I sleep, I go to work and I hang out with my friends.” He said as he took a sip from his coffee.

“ _So, not anyone you have a crush on? Even a tiny bit?_ ” She said and Mark choked on the coffee.

“Mom!!!” He said while coughing.

“ _You can’t blame an old woman for wanting to know if she needs to put an extra plate on the table for christmas._ ” She said as Mark focused on getting his breath back.

“ _And by the sounds of it, that thought might not be so far-fetched._ ”

“Mom! Seriously?”

“ _Yes, I am serious. I want to know, because you are still coming home for christmas, right?_ ”

“Well, as long as nothing sudden happens, I’m coming home. Why do feel like the need to ask now, it’s still like a month and a half left until christmas.” Mark said as he put his mug away. He didn’t want to risk choking to death more times than one.

“ _Because I know you usually does things the last minute. So I’m just checking. So, do I need to put an extra plate on the table?_ ” She asked and Mark sighed.

“No. I’m not bringing anyone home for the holidays.”

“ _But is there anyone you would like to bring?”_

Mark hesitated for a moment and bit his lip before he mumbled.

“Well, yes, but I don’t even know if he’s into guys.”

“ _So it’s a guy again?_ ”

Mark didn’t miss the slight disappointment in her voice.

“Yeah. It’s a guy. But you would like him. He’s really sweet and nice. And he’s really funny and caring too.”

“ _Anything like your last boyfriend?_ ”

Mark tensed up at the mention of his ex.

“He’s nothing like Chad! Like nothing at all! Me and Sean have been friends almost the whole time since I moved here! So don’t you dare to compare Sean to Chad!” He burst out and glared into the wall. It was silent for a while in the phone before his mom sighed.

“ _Just making sure, Mark. I don’t want you to end up with another stalker._ ” She said and Mark chewed on his lip.

“I won’t, mom. I’m more careful now. I’m not going to date Sean any time soon even if I knew if he was into guys. I want to know more about him before that. I’ve learnt my lesson.” He said and decided against to further chew on his lip when he felt a dull sting in it. His mom sighed again.

“ _I know how love works, Mark. But if you say so. Just, please stay safe._ ” She said and Mark let his eyes fell down to the floor.

“Uh… Speaking of Chad… How’s it going for you now?”

“ _It’s good. After the restraining order was put in order, he hasn’t been bothering any of us._ ”

Mark let out a breath of relief.

“Thank god. I was really worried about that.”

“ _It’s not us he is after. You should worry about yourself first in this. I don’t want to lose you._ ”

“You won’t. I’m not going anywhere.” Mark said and picked up his mug again.

“ _I love you, Mark. I really do._ ” She said and Mark heard someone else talk from the other side of the call.

“ _Thomas says hello to you by the way._ ” She continued and Mark smiled.

“I love you too, mom, and say to Thomas I said hello back.” He said and took a sip of his cooling coffee.

“ _Thomas is telling me to stop talking so the phone bill won’t ruin us. So I need to go. Remember to call before you board the plane back, alright? Preferably one more time before that but knowing you it’s not a high chance of that._ ” She said with a huff and Mark laughed a little.

“I’ll try, mom. See you at christmas.”

“ _Bye, sweety. See you at christmas._ ”

The call was cancelled and Mark looked at his phone. He missed them, very much. But it wouldn’t be long now until he saw them. He smiled at the thought as he returned to the kitchen and his books.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you have enjoyed the chapter!


	16. Gone

Mark hummed as he stared at the piece of paper in front of him. He barely listened to his colleagues chatting around him in the lunchroom, he was too absorbed to stare at the words that Sean had written.

“What are ya starin’ at?” Jane said beside him and the paper in his hands was gone. Mark lifted his eyes to glare at the woman.

“Give it back, Jane.” He said as he reached for it. Jane backed out of his reach and looked at the paper.

“Ya tryin’ to understand gaelic?” She said and looked at Mark with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes, just please give it back.” He said and reached for the paper again. She took another step back as she hummed in thought.

“My dad could help ya, ya know?” She said with a grin.

“No. I want to translate it myself, so give it back!” Mark said with a hint of annoyance in it.

“Nope. I don’t think ya are gonna be able to translate this, so I’m gonna go ahead and give it to dad.” She said as she put the paper into her pocket. She gave him a grin before she hurried away. Mark blinked before he bounced up.

“Hey! Give it back!” He yelled and took one step to follow her, but was stopped of someone clearing their throat. Mark turned his gaze to Rickard standing in the door.

“Do Ah have everyone’s attention? Good. As most of ya know, it’s time for the christmas decorations to go up. Ah need volunteers to hang them up. Those who wish can stay during the evening shift an’ hang them up. Of course with overtime payment. Any takers?” He said and swept his eyes over the people in the room. Mark noted that no one raised their hands. Mark hummed in thought, he didn’t really have anything to do after work. And Sean worked the evening shift so that was a huge plus. Making his decision, he raised his hand.

“Only Mark? Well, that will get ya some work there, lad. Do ya mind working the whole evening?” Rickard asked and Mark shook his head.

“Good. Ah’ll see to it so ya get a break too.” Rickard said before he disappeared into his office.

“Good luck, Mark. You’re gonna need it.” Mark heard someone say and he gave the person a shrug. He then looked around to see if he could see Jane anywhere. He grumbled when he didn’t see her. He glanced at the clock to see if he still had time to search for her but he saw that the lunch was coming to a close. He sighed and pressed the rest of his lunch into his mouth before he and all the others went back to work.

 

Mark searched for Jane when the day shift was over. But he was sure she had slipped past him somehow. He frowned at the thought. He didn’t understand why she felt the necessity to take the paper from him, but he wasn’t happy about it.

“Why are ya still in your working clothes, Mark? Shouldn’t ya change for the day?” Sean asked as he approached Mark. Mark gave him a small smile.

“I’m going to work overtime today. Christmas stuff is going to go up today.” He said and Sean facepalmed.

“Already? By the end of the year, I’m gonna hate christmas.” He groaned and Mark nodded.

“You are not the only one.” He said and patted Sean on the shoulder.

“By the way, did you see Jane anywhere?” Mark continued and Sean shook his head. Mark sighed.

“Why do ya wonderin’?” Sean asked and Mark pouted a little.

“She took the paper you gave me and refused to give it back. I’ve searched for her all day but she is sneaky.” He said and Sean hummed a little.

“I see. Well, I suppose I can write ya another piece so ya can continue to try if ya want.” He said and Mark gave him a smile.

“Thanks. I would appreciate that.” He said and Sean nodded before he pushed Mark a little with his shoulder.

“Come on. We better get to work. Ya have a lot of decorations to put up and I have a lot of normal work to do.” He said and Mark’s smile returned to a pout.

“You are not going to help me?”

“Maybe, when I got time. Let me show ya where the stuff are and ya can get help from the others to fix that stuff.”

Mark followed after Sean to the storage where they had all of the boxes he needed to pick from. He met a few others that had been picked to help and soon they were busy working.

 

Mark sat in the changing room with a book in his hands, waiting for Sean to finish his shift. It had gone faster than he thought putting up all the decorations, but he didn’t mind. He was lucky he had a book in his locker.

He looked up from his seat when people began to enter it and he smiled when he saw Sean. He gave a wave to the man before he returned to the book while Sean changed into his normal clothes.

He looked up from it when he felt a tap on his shoulder and saw Sean grinning at him. He grinned back and put away his book and grabbed his jacket and umbrella. They walked out in silence but paused at the door.

“Really? Raining now?” Mark huffed and pulled up the umbrella. Sean walked in beside him and the two began to walk.

“Surprised? Ya brought the umbrella with ya.” He said and Mark shrugged.

“Grabbed it in habit. Have done it basically everyday lately.” He said and Sean nodded.

“Sounds reasonable enough.” He hummed and they fell into a comfortable silence.

Mark glanced at Sean from time to time, taking in his features. He smiled fondly as the blue eyes watched the rain in front of them, containing a calmness in them that made Mark’s heart swell with love. He didn’t move as the blue eyes moved and locked themselves with his.

“What are ya starin’ at?” Sean asked with a raised eyebrow as both of them slowed down into a halt.

“You have pretty eyes.” Mark said as he continued to look into Sean’s eyes. He didn’t realize what he had said until he noticed that Sean’s eyes widened and he looked away. Mark felt heat rise to his cheeks when the realization hit him.

“Eh, I mean… Ah… Ehm..” He stuttered before he shut his mouth and bit his lip lightly. Sean was looking at the ground with both of his hands stuffed into his pockets and his head slightly burrowed into his jacket. Mark twirled the umbrella a little in his hand before he gripped it hard and exhaled slowly.

“Sean, there’s something I… I feel like I need to tell you.” He said and Sean slowly rose his head and looked at him. Mark took another deep breath.

“First off, I’m bisexual. Like, I’m attracted to both men and women.” He began and fidgeted nervously. His mouth went dry and he licked his lips. Sean was just staring at him and it was only making Mark more nervous.

“And I, uh, I might have developed a crush on you. I mean, you are a really great and wonderful person and I love just being with you. Whether we are playing games, taking a walk, talking to each other or just being in your presence, I just love it. I’ve come to the point where I’m just happy to be with you, I can’t get enough of you.”

Sean looked down into the ground again and Mark noticed how his shoulder began to shake a little.

“A-and I know that I don’t know if you are into guys or not, but I thought that you at least deserved to know. And this is probably going to make things awkward between us for a while b-but know that I won’t do anything without you agreeing to it. Whether you are feeling the same or not, I would like to stay friends. I… I think it would be better if you rejected me now so my brain might actually get a chance to-”

“Mark. Stop.”

Mark shut his mouth immediately and bit his lip hard enough to make it sting.

“Just… Please, shut up… I… Fuck.” Sean mumbled with a shaky voice as he dragged his hands through his hands. Mark heart was beating rapidly in his chest. He watched as the emotions swirled in Sean’s eyes and he also noted that they had darkened to sea green again.

“Fuck. Messed mé suas. Cac. Mark, I… I can’t…” Sean said as he tugged his hair in frustration. Mark’s heart stuttered both at the rejection and the clear distress Sean was in. Mark tried to swallow the lump in his throat before he tried to speak.

“It’s okay that you don’t feel the same, Sean. It’s okay. I-I don’t mind, real-”

“That’s not it, okay! That’s not it! Tá mé botún ollmhór!” Sean exclaimed and stepped backwards, out of the protection from the umbrella and into the rain.

“Fuck. Cac. I’m sorry. Tá mé chomh fuckin’ leithscéal!” He mumbled and Mark stepped forward, bringing Sean under the umbrella again. He hesitated for a moment before he brought his free hand up on Sean’s chin and made him look up. Sean’s eyes met his and they seemed much greener than before. Mark swallowed the lump in his throat that refused to disappear.

“What are you sorry for?” He quietly asked and Sean moved away from him, looking down as fast as he could.

“I can’t, Mark. I messed up. I let myself get attached and I didn’t even fuckin’ realize it! Fuck!” He said and shook his head.

“I… I need to go.” He mumbled before he started running.

“Sean!” Mark yelled after him and ran after him. He didn’t really notice when he dropped the umbrella or when the rain began to hit him.

They soon came to a road and Sean ran straight across it. Mark was forced to stop for a moment as a car passed but he was quick to cross when it was gone.

“Sean!” He yelled again but Sean had already disappeared around a corner. Mark rounded the corner and slowed down to a quick walk. He looked around but he couldn’t see Sean anywhere. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a shaky breath.

“Shit. I messed up. Fuck.” He mumbled and pressed the heel of his palm into one of his eyes. He let out another shaky breath before he started to walk home.

After what felt like a long walk, Mark was finally able to close his apartment door behind him. His clothes was dripping water and he felt cold to the bone. But he found he didn’t care.

“I’m an idiot.” He mumbled with a shaky breath and leaned against the door before he slide down. He burrowed his head into his arms and let out a sob. He had messed up big time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you have enjoyed this chapter!


	17. Missing

Mark laid curled up in his bed, staring into the wall in front of him. He hadn’t seen Sean for a few days but he guessed that he didn’t want to see him. Mark couldn’t blame him for it, it’s probably not every day that one’s best friend told you that had a crush on you. Mark curled tighter into a ball and pulled the blanket closer. He was tempted to continue to stay under the blanket when he heard his phone ring but he sighed and crawled out of his cocoon. He searched for it for a little bit before he found it. He frowned when he noticed it was was from Rickard.

“Mark speaking.” He said as he answered the phone.

“ _Hi, Mark. Ah apologize that Ah’m calling ya on ya free day, but the laddies on the floor said ya were a good friend of Sean. Ah was wondering if ya knew where Sean is._ ” Rickard asked. Mark’s frowned deepened and he felt worry creeping up on him.

“No, I haven’t seen him for a few days. Why are you asking me?” He asked and squirmed a little where he sat.

“ _Bummer. This isn’t good. Sean haven’t been at work the last days an’ usually he’s good with calling in sick when he needs to, but Ah haven’t heard from him for days._ ” Rickard said and Mark’s stomach dropped.

“I’ll go and search for him.” He said as he scrambled up from the bed and started to search for some better clothes.

“ _Alright. Ah’ll call ya if Ah hear from him._ ” Rickard said before the line went dead. Mark dragged the clothes on him before he hurried to the hall, grabbing his jacket and slamming the door behind him.

 

 

Mark was a mixture of warmth and cold. Sweat was rolling down from his face and he was taking deep breath after he had basically run around the town for hours. He was also shivering from the cold winter air that had been creeping on more and more. It was a bit of an odd sensation but it did little to distract him from his thoughts. The thoughts of how this was his fault swirled around in his mind as he climbed the stairs up to his apartment slowly.

“Mark?” Wade’s voice echoed beside him and Mark stopped and turned towards his friend.

“Hi, Wade.” He mumbled and Wade was looking at him with concern.

“Are you okay? I haven’t really heard from you the past days.” He said as he approached Mark. Mark sighed and his shoulders slumped.

“I’m not okay, Wade. I’m not…” He slowly trailed off before he shook his head and turned around to continue his quest to get home.

“Wait, Mark! What do you mean?” Wade asked and Mark heard how he started to follow Mark.

“I made a mistake and now Sean is missing. It’s my fault.” Mark said bitterly and clenched his hands.

“What? Sean is missing?”

“Yeah. He hasn’t turned up to work for a few days and he hasn’t called in sick. And I can’t get ahold of him.”

“Holy shit. We should go out and look for him!”

Mark slowly came to a stop in front of his door and started to fumble with his keys.

“What do you think I’ve been doing the past six hours?” He said with exhaustion clearly in his voice. He finally got the door unlocked and walked in. He didn’t bother to close it behind him as he knew Wade would come in anyway. He threw his jacket away, not caring where it landed, and walked into the living room. He collapsed into the couch and stared up into the ceiling. His sight was suddenly covered by a blanket and he dragged it down to give Wade a look.

“You are shivering.” Wade said before he sat down on the other side of the couch. Mark stared at Wade for a moment before he pulled the blanket around him in silence.

“You said that Sean is missing.” Wade said when Mark made no movement to speak with him.

“Yeah. He is.”

“How long?”

“For a few days apparently.”

“And you haven’t noticed before now?”

Mark swallowed and pulled the blanket closer to him.

“No… I thought he had called in sick in a try to avoid me but… Fuck, he could be in a serious mess and it would be my fucking fault!” He said and gripped his head.

“Why would it be your fault?” Wade asked and Mark licked his lips.

“I… I have a crush on him and I told him. And he ran away and when he didn’t show up for work next day I thought he needed space because who wouldn’t want some space from your friend that also are your colleague that has just confessed that they have a crush on you?” He said in one breath and took a deep breath before he slowly exhaled. He buried his face in his arms.

“Shit. That isn’t good. Have you reported him missing?” Wade asked with concern and worry clear on his face.

“Yes. And I told them I’m probably one of the last persons that saw him. Shit, if something have happened to Sean, I’m not going to forgive myself.” Mark mumbled.

“This isn’t good.” Wade agreed and it sounded like he was going to say something more, but the sound of Mark’s phone ringing cut him off. Both of the men just sat there for a moment.

“Aren’t you going to answer that?” Wade asked when he noticed that Mark wasn’t moving from his spot. Mark shook his head and Wade sighed. He rose up from his seat and soon Mark heard him answering the phone.

“Wade speaking on Mark Fischbach’s phone. … Wait a sec, I’ll get him.” Wade said and soon Wade was standing in front of Mark, holding his phone out for him. Mark raised a questioning eyebrow.

“It’s some professor that’s looking for you.” Wade said with a shrug. Mark furrowed his eyebrows in confusion but took the phone anyway and pressed it to his ear.

“Mark speaking.”

“ _Ah, hello, Mr. Fischbach! I’m Simon Garland and I’m calling you about the translation._ ” The man on the other side said. Mark gave Wade a confused look.

“What translation?”

“ _Wasn’t it you that had a piece of paper with old gaelic?_ ”

“I’m sorry, but you have totally lost me. What?”

“ _Ah, I see. Then I do must ask if you are a colleague to Jane Garland, my daughter._ ”

“Yeah, I work with her. Is this about the paper she stole from me?”

“ _She stole it from you? I see. Well, she told me that you needed help with translating this and I can see why. It’s not everyday I see someone possess something with old gaelic on it! It’s a rare sight and I was honestly overjoyed when I saw it! I’m really curious, where did you get it?_ ”

“Wait, slow down a second! Old gaelic? I thought that was regular gaelic!”

“ _Oh no, it isn’t. Though the gaelic we use today are usually quite similar to old gaelic, this is quite old. Did you try to translate this?_ ”

“Well, yes, but I only could figure out some of the words.”

“ _Understandable. So, where did you get it?_ ”

“I… Got it from a friend. Listen, why did you call? To tell me it’s un-translatable? Well, I don’t care about that thing anymore so you could just-”

“ _No no no! That’s not why I called! I wanted to tell you what was written on the paper. You see, I’m a professor in languages and I’ve studied old gaelic for a long time now._ ”

Mark’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth but closed it immediately.

“ _It’s really fascinating. It’s about an old saying they used in the past. It says ‘The Lost shall wander until they find a path to walk upon. Don’t stray from it, or the Light shall force you to follow’. They used this phrase to warn people of strange lights in the forest._ ”

Mark almost dropped his phone.

“S-strange lights?”

“ _Yes. Those lights are the base for the Will-o-Wisps. It’s really interesting that the paper was saying this. You said you got it from a friend? Would you like to do me a favor? I would very much like to meet this person, it’s not often I come across someone that knows old gaelic!_ ” The man said with excitement very clear in his voice. Mark bit his lip before he sighed.

“I’ll… I’ll see what I can do. No promises. Was… Was there anything else?”

“ _No, not really. Thank you for your time, Mr. Fischbach. I wish you a good evening!_ ”

“Good evening to you too.” Mark said and ended the call. He dropped the phone beside him and pulled the blanket more over his shoulders.

“What did the man want?” Wade asked and Mark sighed.

“He wanted to talk about that piece of paper that Sean gave me to translate.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Like it matters anyway.”

Mark pulled his knees to his chest and buried his face in his arms.

“We can go and search for Sean tomorrow if you like. We can make Felix tag along.” Wade said and Mark didn’t move.

“You look exhausted, Mark. I’ll come back tomorrow with Felix and we all go out and search for Sean. Six eyes are better than two, right?” Wade decided and Mark gave a small nod.

“Good. Rest a bit and I’ll see you tomorrow.” He continued as he moved towards the door.

“Bye.” Mark said and listened to the door close. He sighed and pushed himself up from the couch and walked towards the bathroom. He needed a hot shower in order to fully gain some warmth into his body.

 

After the shower, Mark walked back to the living room. He stood there, looking around him. He didn’t know what to do. He gaze travelled to the bookcase and he remembered the book he had gotten from Claire. He frowned slightly and walked over to search for the book. He found it soon enough and he sat down in the couch with it in his hands. He hesitated for a moment before he looked in the dictionary after ‘Will-o-Wisp’. He found what he was looking for and flipped to the right side before he started to read. He was tired and needed to take his mind off Sean for a little while. He decided that this would be the best way to do it at the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this being late, I was drained of energy this week... Still haven't really recovered, but I managed to get this out at least.  
> This isn't quite what I wanted with this chapter, but I think this is the best I can do at the moment. Sorry if this was a bit anti-climax from the previous chapter.
> 
> I hope you have enjoyed this chapter.


	18. Let Me Stay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly: I'm really sorry that it took this long for me to give you this chapter.
> 
> Secondly: Enjoy.

They didn’t find any trace of him. Mark, Wade and Felix had searched for days but they had found nothing. Mark was devastated and exhausted since he hadn’t been able to relax since all of this began.

“Mark, you need to sit down.” Felix said as he watched Mark pace around the living room.

“I can’t!” He said as his hands twitched. Wade sighed before he rose up from his seat. He walked over to the anxious man and forced him to stop walking by placing his hands on the shorter man’s shoulders. Mark looked at him with worry and squirmed a little.

“You really need to relax. You are more tense than a bow right now.” He said and Felix agreed.

“Maybe you should go out for a run or something like that? Exhaust your body so you have no other choice but to rest.” He suggested and Mark ran his hands through his hair in slight frustration.

“That won’t help my mind to calm down, you know.” He said as he glanced at Felix. Wade let go of him and returned to his seat on the couch.

“I don’t think there is much more we can do, Mark.” Felix pointed out and Wade nodded.

“We have searched everywhere without finding any clue on where he can be. All we can do now is to trust the police that they will find anything. Speaking of the police though, have you heard anything from them?” He said and Mark shook his head.

“No, they haven’t contacted me. I hope that they will do it soon though.” He said as he started to walk around again. Wade narrowed his eyes at Mark but did nothing this time.

“Search parties can take some time, but they should contact you any day now on how it’s going.” He said and Mark let out a frustrated sigh. He ran a twitching hand through his hair and tugged at it a little.

“I just hope that it’s good news. I don’t… I don’t know what I would do if they told me that they haven’t found him, or worse-”

“Mark, stop it!” Felix exclaimed, making the twitchy man jump a little.

“You look like someone who hasn’t gotten their fix yet! Seriously, you need to calm down. Even if it’s bad news the police comes with, there is nothing we can do about it. It sucks, yes, but for the moment we need to be hopeful. I’m worried sick about Sean too and I hate that I can’t be more of a help.” He added when Mark finally stood still long enough.

“How do you know how someone looks like when they don’t haven’t gotten their fix?” Mark asked and Felix rolled his eyes.

“I don’t. Just thinking you fit the image perfectly.” He said with a heavy sigh.

“A jogging session would be perfect for you right now.” Wade said and Mark looked hesitant.

“But what if-”

“If the police calls when you are out, you just need to call back. Dude, you really need to get your mind off this for a bit. Running should help you to clear your mind.” Wade continued and Mark gave a defeated sigh.

“Fine. I’ll go out and run if that make you guys so happy. But you are going to go with me!” He said and pointed at his friends. Felix shook his head.

“Sorry, can’t. Need to go home and prepare for my night shift.” He said and rose up from his seat. Mark gave Wade a pleading look.

“Me neither. I actually need to study, I’m way behind my studies because of our search for Sean.” Wade said with a shake of his head and Mark sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

“Thanks for that. I guess I better throw you two out then and start running.” He mumbled and received two apologetic smiles. Wade rose up from the couch too and all three walked to the hallway.

“Do you think it have stopped snowing?” Felix asked as he and Wade were pulling on their shoes. Wade opened the door without saying anything and looked outside.

“Nope, it’s still snowing. I hope it won’t melt away too fast.” He said and looked over to Mark.

“Going to chicken out?” He asked and Mark shook his head.

“You guys are right, I need to get out and move. So no, I’m not. As long as it isn’t a snowstorm out there, I’m going out to run.” He said and Wade nodded, looking satisfied.

“Anyway, see you later, Mark. Call if you get any news on Sean.” Felix said before both he and Wade walked out through the door and to their own apartments. Mark stood in the doorway and watched the snow fall down for a bit before he closed the door and walked to his bedroom. He changed quickly into the running gear he had before pulling a thinner jacket over his shoulders so the cold wouldn’t overwhelm him. He hesitated for a moment by the door before he cursed under his breath and went out running.

 

Mark slammed the door shut after he had finally arrived home. He was breathing heavily from the run, he really didn’t have a running fitness. He quickly dumped his outer clothes and shoes on the floor before he hurried to the living room where he had left his phone. He grabbed it and lit the screen up. No missed calls. He let out a breath of relief and let his arms hang to his sides. The exhaustion was finally catching up on him. He ran his free hand through his hair before he dropped the phone back on the table and walked to his room. He rummaged through the wardrobes in search for some comfortable clothes and after he finally found some, he went to the bathroom to take a hot shower.

As Mark stood there and let the water burn slightly at his skin, his thoughts wandered. Sean had been gone for about a week now. There were simply no trace after him, not what Mark at least had found. He really hoped that the police had found _something_. Why would Sean even disappear? Did he get in trouble? He had seemed nervous right before he had ran away. But that probably had to do with Mark’s confession, who wouldn’t be a bit twitchy if someone told you that they had feelings for you and you didn’t feel the same?

His thoughts was interrupted when he heard his phone ring. He almost stumbled out of the shower and barely took the time to grab a towel to tie around his waist. He shivered at the colder air in the apartment but he didn’t slow down until he had arrived to the living room and grabbed the phone. He swallowed the lump in his throat when he recognized the police’s number.

“Mark speaking.” He answered as he pressed the phone close to his ear.

“ _Hello, Mr. Fischbach. I’m officer Jason. I’m calling you about the missing report you filed-_ ”

“God! Have you found anything? Have you found Sean? Please tell me that you found at least something!” Mark said as he started to pace. His free hand twitched; all the nervousness he had worked off during his run had now come back.

The officer cleared his throat.

“ _I’m calling you to tell you that the police do not appreciate jokes, Mr. Fischbach. Reporting someone as missing is very serious business and is not something you should joke around with._ ”

Mark frowned in confusion and dread was settling down in his stomach.

“What? Officer, I’m not trying to pull off a joke! Why would you even think that?!”

“ _Because there doesn’t exist a person by the name of Sean McLoughlin with the description you have given us. And the nearest Sean McLoughlin in Ireland is living three hours away from here and looks nothing like your description of him._ ”

Mark froze in his tracks as his heart stopped and he felt a shiver crawl down his spine.

“What are you saying? Of course Sean exist! I’ve been working with him for months and been hanging out with him just as long! Besides, he should have a contract with the place we work at.”

“ _Well, the man that was hired by the name Sean McLoughlin used false information in his application. And we haven’t found anything that can give us any hint of who the man is or where he lives. In fact, all of our evidence point to that he doesn’t exist. So. Next time you decide to report someone missing, make sure it’s an actual person you are reporting missing._ ”

“Wait! Is that all you-”

The tone of an ended phonecall met Mark’s ear and he brought it down to stare at it. He cursed and threw the phone into the couch, hard.

“What the fuck was that about?!” He growled and ran his hands through his wet hair, tugging at the strands in frustration. He stared up into the ceiling with his fingers tangled in his hair for a moment before he sighed and let his arms drop.

“Sean, what’s going on? I’m utterly confused right now.” He mumbled and looked around him. He stood there for a while, letting his thoughts wander for a bit, until he shivered from the cold. He hurried back to the bathroom to dry off and put his chosen clothes on. No point in finishing the shower properly.

When Mark returned to the living room, he collapsed into the couch. He stared at the ceiling for a while before he picked up his phone. He examined it and let out a breath of relief when it wasn’t damaged.

He hesitated for a brief moment before he pulled out Sean’s number and hit dial. He was immediately sent to the voicemail, just as before. He sighed and cancelled the call. Instead of putting the phone aside, he pulled up Rickard’s number and pressed call before he had the chance to regret his decision.

“ _Why are ya calling me in the evening, Mark? Ah hope ya have a very good reason to do that._ ” Rickard answered in a gruff voice.

“How the heck could you hire someone that are using fake paper?”

“ _... Ah take it ya talked to the police. Trust me lad, Ah didn’t know it was fake papers and Ah was desperate for people back then. And Ah want answers just as much as ya. So give me some slack, will ya?_ ”

“Isn’t it a rule to check the papers if they are correct or something like that?”

“ _Like Ah said, Ah was in need of people. And Ah don’t understand why ya are getting angry at me, Ah’m not the one that made Sean disappear._ ”

Mark bit his tongue and clenched his free hand.

“ _Ah really want to this to be over. And remember, Ah better see ya tomorrow at work. The search is off and Ah won’t give ya any more sick days to search for Sean. Now, goodnight._ ”

Mark lifted the phone from his ear to stare at it. He then gave the phone his middle finger.

“You weren’t much of a help.” He mumbled and put his phone down. He tapped his fingers against his thigh, he was getting restless again despite the fact it wasn’t long ago he had been jogging.

A green shimmer from the window made Mark pause. It was already gone when Mark had turned his head towards the glass, but Mark stood up and walked over to the window anyway. He stared out into the darkness as he tried to spot the green light once again.

“Why do I keep seeing you?” He mumbled before he leaned back and sighed. He let his mind wander and a thought made itself known.

Didn’t Sean know something about it? Maybe he had something to do with it?

From what Mark had gathered, it was a Will-o-Wisp, a ghost light of some sort that lures people from safe paths and into swamps. The legend said it was a person named Will that had been condemned to wander upon the Earth after he had died due to some bad choices in life, and the Devil had given him a burning coal to keep him warm. Basically. What Mark didn’t understand was why he kept seeing it. He thought that Will-o-Wisps were an one time thing that people was exposed to and if they survived the first encounter, then it would be an extremely small chance to see them again. So it didn’t make sense that he was still seeing it.

Mark stared out through the window as he came to a decision.

“Sorry, Sean, but I really need some answers. Besides, that thing might have some clues on why you disappeared.”

He turned around and hurried to the front door, pulling on some warm clothes before he headed once again out into the snow and the darkness of the evening.

 

The snow crunched under Mark’s feet as he walked deeper into the woods. He cursed himself for not bringing a flashlight. Or his phone for that matter. It was dark, though the snow helped a little bit to brighten things up. But he still stumbled over some hidden vegetation from time to time.

He hadn’t seen the light since the small glimpse at his apartment; it didn’t really surprise him because he had never seen it twice in the same evening. But he couldn’t help but to feel disappointed that he hadn’t found a clue where the light could be.

Mark sighed and a white puff escaped his mouth.

“I should really turn back home…” He mumbled to himself and buried his face deeper into his jacket. He wasn’t really sure why he had thought it was a good idea to go into the forest in search for some fairy tale. It felt like he had walked for an hour or something like that, but the only thing he was sure of was that he had stopped seeing the light from the town.

“I should turn back while my tracks aren’t covered by fresh snow.”

But Mark didn’t turn around, he kept pushing forward. And after what felt like forever, he was rewarded with a glimpse of green light.

Mark’s breath was caught in his throat and his heart speed up. He increased his pace as he started to move towards the light. It was moving but not in a pace that made it impossible for Mark to catch up with it.

As he was drawing closer, he noticed that it was not an it, but a person. A person carrying a green light over their shoulder.

“Hey!” He shouted and the person stopped all movement. Mark hurried closer as saw that the person had their back turned towards him. The person weren’t wearing a jacket and had a hood pulled over their head. The light was emitting from a lantern that was hanging from a pole that was resting on the person’s shoulder.

Mark licked his lips in nervousness as he slowly came to a halt just a few meters away from the person.

“Hey. Uh… Okay, this is a bit weird…” He started and rubbed his neck. The person didn’t move an inch. Mark took a deep breath. “First of, why are you walking here in the woods with a green light? What’s the point of even doing that? And for such a long time too?”

No response.

“Okay… Are you trying to scare people with it? Like trying to pass as a Will-o-Wisp?”

Mark sighed.

“Listen, I don’t know if you are human or not, but you have been messing with my head regardless. I have seen your light since spring and in all honesty, it’s been driving me nuts. It’s like I’ve been obsessed with and I just- I don’t even know what kind of point I’m trying to make.”

He dragged his hands through his hair in frustration. Why had he even come here? To ask the person to stop? Stop what exactly? Was it to ask them about Sean? Why would they even know about his missing crush?

Mark’s heart stopped for a second as the person started to walk again, away from him.

“Wait!” He said in a panic but the person didn’t stop.

“Do you know of a man called Sean? He’s been missing for a week and I need to find him! Please!” He hurriedly continued as he took several quick steps after the person. The person stopped abruptly and Mark did the same, his heart speeding up slightly.

“For fuck’s sake, Mark!” An all too familiar voice said in frustration and the person spinned around and Mark was met with green, glowing eyes on a familiar face.

“Sean?” Mark mumbled as he took in his friend’s appearance. He was paler than before which drew the attention to a thin, dark line around his neck. His wonderful blue eyes had been replaced with those green eyes that Mark could have sworn he had seen before. The clothes were worn and looked like nothing he would usually wear.

“What the heck are ya doing here? No, don’t answer that. Just turn around and go back. Ya don’t belong out here.” Sean said, frustration clear in his voice. He was moving his free hand around as if he tried to show Mark what he meant.

Mark blinked out of his stupor.

“Leave? You are telling me to leave? What the fuck, Sean! I’ve been searching for you for a week and you want me to leave?! Nuh-uh! Not happening!” Mark said, his voice getting louder as anger settled in him. He took a step closer closer to Sean who looked surprised for a second. “Do you have any idea how worried I was? I thought I had done something wrong, I thought you were hurt!” He said and reached out a hand to touch Sean’s cheek. The other man flinched away from the touch before it had even landed. Mark felt his heart sting a little and he let his hand fall down to his side.

“Just leave, Mark. Ya don’t belong here. Go back while ya still can.”

“Or what? What will happen if I don’t go back?”

“I might fuckin’ kill ya!” Sean snapped with gritted teeth and clenched fists.

Mark stared at him with wide eyes.

“I’m not human, Mark! Haven’t ya noticed that I haven’t left any footprints? Didn’t ya yourself say that it was strange that I was carrying a light in the middle of a forest? It’s because I’m not human!”

“Sean-”

“Stop calling me that!”

Mark just looked at Sean for a brief moment. “Why?”

“‘Cause that’s not my name.”

Mark hesitated for a second before he spoke again. “Is it Will?”

“What?”

“Is your name Will, then?”

“No,” he sighed and dragged his free hand through his hair. “It’s Jack.”

“Jack… So, you are not a Will-o-Wisp?” Mark said as he rubbed his temple in a weak attempt to prevent a headache from forming.

Jack gave him a wry smile. “Almost, but not quite. Try Jack-o-Lantern.”

“Jack-o-Lantern?”

“Basically the same, but the difference is that Will-o-Wisps guides lost people to safe paths while Jack-o-Lanterns trick people to get lost.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Silence came over them as Mark’s mind swirled with the information and Jack was studying him.

The silence was broken as Mark groaned and all but fell down on his ass. The snow crunched under his weight and he dragged his hands over his face. “What the fuck is happening right now? Sean-”

“Jack.”

Mark exhaled slowly as he tried not to be overwhelmed. “Jack. Please, tell me what’s going on.” He begged and gave Jack a pleading look. Jack closed his eyes as he tried not to look at Mark.

“Ya are surprisingly calm about this.” He commented and Mark let out a dry laugh.

“I wouldn’t call myself calm.” He replied dryly. He then sighed and rubbed his face again. “Please. I need to know. What’s going on, Jack?”

Jack stayed silent for a long time.

“You said you were a Jack-o-Lantern. Why did you pose as a human? I’m assuming you did because the police told me that it didn’t exist a Sean with your looks. And why did you befriend me? Why did you show yourself all those months ago when I left the airport? _Why won’t you leave my mind?_ ”

Jack finally sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I pose as a human because it’s fuckin’ boring to walk around all day like this. It’s not like the other supernaturals wants to hang out me.” He said with a bitter edge of his voice. “They think I’m gonna drain the life out of them if we are around each other,” was added under his breath.

Mark just stared at Jack.

“Why I showed myself for ya is because, well, I do need someone to feed of. And ya were the unlucky one. Random chance, it could had been anyone. Didn’t know it was ya for a long time though. Ya never came to me.” Jack continued and looked down at Mark. Mark swallowed against the lump in his throat and shivered. If it was from the cold around him or what those words might mean, he wasn’t sure.

“Feed?”

“Yeah. Feed. I do need to live and get energy to keep my human form from somewhere.”

“Like… Like vampires?”

“No. I feed from your life energy, not blood. I take years from your life so ya won’t live for as long as ya were supposed to do. And normally I just take all of it. It’s easiest that way.”

“So you kill people.”

“Yeah.”

“And you planned to kill me.”

“In the beginnin’, yeah.”

“Holy shit.”

Mark gripped his hair as he stared at his feet. “Holy fuck, you are going to kill me. You aren’t human and you are going to kill because you need my life energy.”

Movement in front of him made him look up at Jack that had moved closer. Jack hunched down so he was in eye level with the living human. He reached out with his free hand and touched Mark’s cheek, his touch colder and lighter than it should had been. The green light from the lantern threw shadows over Jack’s face but his eyes were glowing softly. Mark couldn’t help but feel enthralled by them.

“No, I’m not.” Jack said in a gentle voice. “I’m not goin’ to hurt ya, Mark. Ever. I care too much about ya to do that.”

He pressed his fingers harder against Mark’s skin as he tried to emphasize his words. “I befriended ya as a human because I was intrigued by ya. Now, long afterwards, it was probably because ya had been marked by my magic. Didn’t realize it though, my senses get dulled when I’m in my human form. And I stayed your friend because I took a likin’ to ya.”

Mark closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. “What about the time you got into my room and woke me up from sleep?” The silence that met his question made him open his eyes to look at Jack. He had regret written on his face.

“I… I lost control. I was hungry. But luckily ya woke up and I escaped. I’m sorry.”

“But why did you act surprised later when I told you about the light? Shouldn’t you have known it was me?”

Jack moved his hand away from Mark and Mark almost missed the contact. Jack scratched his neck and Mark’s eyes fell to the dark mark around his friend’s neck.

“I had been tryin’ to unmark ya so I kind of freaked out when I realized that ya was still seein’ me.”

Mark reached out with his hand and touched Jack’s dark mark, tracing the line. Jack tensed under his fingertips but didn’t move away.

“What about the fact you never told me about this? About the fact I was stalked, or marked as you called it, by a Jack-o-Lantern? Why try to cover it up?” Mark mumbled as he continued to trace the line.

“Ya sure like questions tonight, don’t ya, Mark?” Jack said with a sigh. “Would ya ever want to talk about somethin’ that only ya know about that no one else can confirm? It would raise too many questions.”

“And you think my questions right here and now aren’t enough?” Mark said and the two made eye contact. Jack let out a choked laugh and Mark grinned.

“Ya fuckin’ dork.” Jack mumbled with a shake of his head. They smiled at each other for a while, Mark studying the other man’s face. Despite the changes, Mark still found him gorgeous.

Jack’s smile fell and with a sigh, he rose up properly. “Ya need to go back, Mark. Ya’re not safe with me. Go back and escape the country. Get out of my magic’s reach.”

Mark blinked as the moment was broken. He frowned and scrambled up to his feet, just now realizing how cold he had become from sitting in the snow for so long without any cover trousers. “No.”

“What?”

“I said no! I don’t- I don’t want to leave you again!”

Jack stared at Mark in disbelief before he grabbed Mark’s chin and pulled him close as he studied his face. Mark’s heart picked up speed at the close proximity of their faces.

Jack let out a groan as he let go of Mark’s face and dragged the hand over his own face. “Ya’re affected by my magic. Ya’re not makin’ sane decisions at the moment.” Both of his arms dropped to his sides, the lantern dangling on the pole casting dancing green light on the two men.

“How can you be so sure of that? This could be all me speaking.” Mark insisted as he longed for the touch again. Jack shook his head.

“No. I just literally told ya I kill people and that I planned to kill ya. It’s not normal or good to just forgive and forget that. I might not be human anymore, but I still know what’s good and what’s not.”

“I don’t care. I want to be with you.”

“Have it ever crossed your mind that this crush ya feel towards me is the result of the mark ya’re wearing? The want, _the need_ , to be with me is just my magic tryin’ to lure ya in? And what about your family? If ya stay with me, they will be left without any answers.”

Mark opened his mouth but shut it again as the words failed him. Jack really made a point there. Was Jack really more important than his real, living family? More important than his moms, than his brother? And wouldn’t Wade and Felix be worried too? And was what he was feeling really real? Jack had said he was a Jack-o-Lantern, someone who lured people away from their safety.

Jack closed his eyes as he shook his head again. He looked down to the side and Mark followed his sight. He was looking down at his lantern. Mark glanced at Jack and saw the hesitation in him before he dropped the pole with the light to the ground. It immediately glowed with a much weaker light, like it was barely holding on.

The feeling of that strange pull towards the light that Mark always had had, vanished at the same moment Jack had lost contact with the pole.

Mark also noticed the wince Jack made, it was like someone had punched him.

Jack swallowed thickly and licked his lips. “My magic is completely sealed right now. Ya can now leave without bein’ influenced by it. Go back home, and leave Ireland. That’s the only way for ya to truly escape my magic. Please.” He said in a weak voice.

Mark stared at him with wide eyes, barely able to take in Jack’s appearance in the now much duller light. “That is hurting you, isn’t it? Like, physically hurting you? Not being in contact with your magic?”

Jack grimaced. “Don’t mind that. Just turn around, okay?”

Mark stared at him for what felt like the longest time, until he finally took a step backwards. The snow crunched under the following footsteps and then he turned around.

Mark’s mind was racing as he followed his own tracks back towards his home.

 

\---

 

Jack watched as the man he had come to care about so much walked away. The foreigner that had awoken so many feelings he had forgotten he had. He supposed he was happy that Mark wasn’t that stubborn idiot that would give up his life for something stupid as love that only exist in those idiotic and cheesy stories.

But he couldn’t help to feel a twinge of disappointment too.

He had given up all those feelings a long time ago, about the time the snare had tightened its grip around his neck because the villagers had thought he had made a pact with the Devil.

The memory made him trace the dark line he knew existed, the same one Mark had traced earlier. How long had it been? Maybe three hundred years or so. It was a very long time ago. He had killed many since then, luring them in with his light. Feeding on them, leaving bodies behind him without any apparent cause of death. He hadn’t cared, angry at how foolish humans can truly be. He never cared, bitter over how those he had trusted the most had betrayed him. He had never cared.

Except for this one time.

A wave of nausea made Jack sink down to his knees and curl into himself. It really hurt, but he would be damned if he grabbed his lantern too early and lead Mark back to him. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to ignore the temptation of taking and draining Mark dry if he returned. He was hungry, but as soon as Mark was safe he would be able to drain some years of someone else. That would be at least something.

After what felt like hours, when he was sure Mark would at least be home within locked doors, Jack finally reached out for the pole which his lantern was attached to. Relief flooded him the moment he made contact with it. It was way easier to breath and his body didn’t hurt because his magic wasn’t cut off from him.

He uncurled himself and rose up to his feet. He looked longingly towards the way Mark had disappeared to, but he forced him to turn his back towards it and walk the other way. He closed his eyes for a brief moment as he took a deep breath and started to walk.

The sound rapid crunched snow made Jack freeze in place.

“Jack, wait!” Mark said with a heavy breath as he jogged closer to the Jack-o-Lantern.

“Mark, what are ya doin’ here? Didn’t I tell ya to get away?” Jack said with gritted teeth. He refused to look up from the ground as the human came to a stop beside him.

“Yes, you did. But I don’t want to and this isn’t your bullshit magic talking. Yes, my family and friends will be sad if I’m gone, but it’s not like I have made a big impact on lives here in Ireland. And I can’t return to America because I have a fucking stalker there that wouldn’t hesitate to harm me if I ever returned. Yes, maybe I can return for short periods of times, but I can’t live there anymore. And it was hard enough to start over here in Ireland, I don’t know if I’m able to start over again in another country. And I don’t want to.” Mark said, breathing heavily whenever he needed to take breaths. Like he had been running for the past twenty minutes.

Jack slowly looked up at Mark. “Ya’re rambling again.” He mumbled fondly. Mark gave him a tiny smile as his breath was slowly calming down.

“Yeah, I’m an expert on that. But for real, Jack, Sean or whatever you want me to call you. Please. Let me stay.” He said and Jack looked down to the ground again.

“I’m probably just gonna drain ya dry, ya know that right?” He mumbled. He almost jumped out of his skin as he felt a hand in his free one and fingers intertwined. He moved his stare to the hands before he raised his eyes to meet Mark’s soft, brown ones.

“I’m not asking you to feed off me, Jack. I’m asking you to let me stay with you.” He said, his eyes pleading for Jack to say yes. He brought their intertwined hands up to his lips and kissed Jack’s knuckles. “Is breá liom tú, Jack. I love you. I truly do. I’ve always been attracted to you and I’ve been enamored in you as Sean, not the green light. If you had asked me to follow you as Sean, I would have done it. I don’t think you are that much different when you are Jack from when you are Sean.”

Jack gave Mark’s hand a squeeze and Mark’s smile grew a bit. Jack was beginning to form a smile of his own.

“Let me stay with you, Jack. Let me walk with you.” Another kiss to Jack’s knuckles.

“Ya’re a dork, ya know that right?” Jack said with a light laugh. He should be angry that Mark had come back. He should be angry at himself that he wasn’t able to stay away from his lantern longer so Mark wouldn’t end up under its spell again. But he couldn’t find himself to care.

“I’m a dork that is all yours.” Mark said, his voice dropping an octave. Jack shook his head, smiling like an idiot.

“Come on then, we have a long way to walk.”

They were close to each other, shoulders touching, and they didn’t let go of their intertwined hands as they walked deeper into the forest. The green light gave them enough light to find their path and the shadows danced around them.

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus have we come to an end for this journey. Thank you for joining me for this ride, it's been interesting to write this piece.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who have left kudos and commented on this story, it has really kept me going with this. This is honestly my third long fanfic I finished to the end. In fact, this is my longest finished story I've ever done. And that's all thanks to you. You really kept me going. Thank you so much for your support. I really wish you have enjoyed this story. That's all I'm hoping for at the moment.
> 
> Fun fact about this chapter: There is a part in this chapter where I sat with some friends to have an evening of writing. We sat for roughly an hour discussing, on and off of course, one paragraph. Like, seriously. I think that paragraph ended up being my favorite thing in the whole chapter xD After that, my style of writing changed slightly. You may have noticed it, or you didn't. Either way, that was just some fun I wanted to share :P


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